


Alone Together

by Silenton



Series: Alone Together [1]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game), Life Is Strange 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Also Daniel doesn't have his telekinetic powers, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Boys In Love, Crush at First Sight, Crushes, Esteban is trying his best overall to be the best dad he can be, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, In this AU Esteban is still alive and kept a good relationship with Karen's parents, M/M, Slow Burn, Substance Abuse, Teen Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-05-13 16:41:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 14
Words: 25,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19255111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silenton/pseuds/Silenton
Summary: Chris Eriksen lived a normal, mundane life. That is, until the new kid in town moved next door.





	1. Anything Could Happen

Light shined through Chris' window, landing on his face. However, that wasn't the only thing that woke him up that fateful morning. No, instead, it was the distinct barking of a dog that roused Chris from his peaceful dreams. He rose from his bed silently and inched towards his door, cracking it open and slipping into the living room. Slowly, Chris crept over to the window and looked out. From what he could see, it looked like the Reynolds next door had a visitor. Claire and Stephen stood in the middle of the front yard, hugging the mysterious visitor.  Behind him obediently sat a medium-sized brown-speckled dog.

"Ugh... what the hell is going on?" Chris turned, seeing his father lying on the couch.

Chris frowned. _"He's hungover, as usual."_ "I think Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds have a guest." He leaned on the window sill. "...Are you hungry? I could make us breakfast quickly if you want."

Charles rubbed his eyes, clearly annoyed. "What? Ugh, shut up. Just let me go back to sleep, goddamnit." And with that, Charles flipped back over and fell back asleep.

Chris sighed. He walked over to the kitchen, grabbing a bowl from the otherwise bare cabinets. He placed it down before going back. After a few minutes of opening and closing different cabinets, much to the annoyance of Charles, who let out the occasional grunt and grumble, Chris finally found something to eat. Walking back to the table, a box of Chock-O-Crisp cereal in one hand and a jug of milk in the other, he silently prepared his breakfast. While munching on spoonfuls of soggy cereal, Chris thought back to a conversation he had with Mrs. Reynolds yesterday.

 

It was a pleasant evening. Not too hot, not too cold, it was perfect. Chris had planned on going on a short walk after he got done washing dishes. As he was drying, he heard a knock at the door. "I'll get it!" He walked over to the door, seeing Mrs. Reynolds standing on the doorstep through the window. "Hi, Mrs. Reynolds! How are you doing this evening?"

She smiled. "Hello, Chris. I'm doing fine, what are you two doing over here?"

"Well, we just got done eating supper. I just finished up washing the dishes. I was going to go on a walk afterward.

"How nice." She scanned the room, seeing Charles on the couch. "Is... your father okay, Chris?"

Chris looked at his father. "Yeah, he's just tired. From a long day at work, you know?" That was a lie, Charles hadn't worked in almost two years. He had signed up for disability checks a few weeks back.

She frowned. "Right..." She put her hand on Chris' shoulder, leaning in closer. "Listen, Chris... I'm only steps away from your house. If you ever feel scared, you can come to visit us anytime, day or night. Understand? We're here for you."

Chris shifted his balance from one leg to the other. He crossed his arms, trying to distract himself from his own shaking hands. "O-okay, Mrs. Reynolds."

Mrs. Reynolds' face lit up again. "Oh, before I forget. Stephen and I are having a guest over, our grandson. He's your age. Sixteen, right?"

Chris smiled. "Yeah, my birthday was... four months ago! But you probably remember that."

"Well, maybe you two can spend time together. I know how boring the summer can get for you young folk, especially in this old town."

Chris leaned against the wall. "I'll think about it." He heard the alarm on his phone go off in the other room. "Oh! I'm so sorry, Mrs. Reynolds. I'd love to talk, but I have to do my other chores." The two shared their goodbyes, and Chris closed the door.

 

_”So that's who's staying with them,"_ he thought to himself, slurping the last bit of milk from the bowl, _"their grandson."_ Chris rose up from his chair, placing his bowl into the sink. He slipped back into his room, getting dressed. Afterward, he wrote a quick note for Charles and took some brownies he baked a couple of days prior before leaving. The walk over to the Reynolds house was great. His hands in his pockets, the breeze in his face and blowing through his dark blond hair, it was almost perfect. Standing on the step, he pushed the doorbell. When the door opened, all Chris could think was _woah._ The first thing he noticed was the boy's height. He easily towered over him, Chris decided that he had to be at least 6'4". The way the boy dressed, Chris instantly thought it was cool. He wore a black tank top, a white wolf standing alone on the front, the word 'SQUAD' written on it. A yellow flannel jacket sat wrapped around the waist of his dark, ripped jeans, and a blue beanie sat on top of his head. But the thing that Chris noticed most of all was the little bits that screamed of "holy shit this dude is most definitely _not_ in your league." His dark brown bangs tinged with an angry looking red. He had two rings in his face; one in the left corner of his mouth, another on his left nostril. In his left ear laid one lone stud. Everything about this boy had Chris transfixed.

"Um, do I have food stuck in my teeth, or...?"

Chris snapped out of his focused state, realizing where he was again. "O-Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to stare." He quickly shot his hand out. "I-I'm Chris. I live next door." The boy took his hand, shaking it. Their eyes met. _"God,"_ Chris thought to himself, _"his eyes are so dark."_

"Oh! I think my grandma mentioned you over the phone before I got here." Daniel moved his hand away, an absence that Chris felt embarrassed to admit that he _didn't like._ "Name's Daniel."

Chris raised the small baggie to Daniel. "I made these a couple of days ago, but I thought you'd maybe like to have them?"

Daniel's face lit up, taking the bag from Chris. "Oh, sweet! These pot brownies, or?"

Chris' eyes widened. "What? No, their... I-"

Daniel laughed. "Don't worry, dude. I'm just joking. Thank you, I'll eat these later." He looked at Chris for a moment. "Do you wanna come inside? My grandma could make us something to eat if you're hungry."

Chris shook his head softly. "Sorry, I'd love to. But I probably have to get back home. My dad's going to wake up and wonder where I went."

Daniel frowned slightly. "Well, alright. See you later then?"

Chris smiled. "Yeah... see you later."

 

* * *

 

Daniel stood by the door, watching him leave.

"Who was at the door?"

Daniel walked down the hallway, through the living room, and into the kitchen. "The kid next door, Chris. He wanted to say hi, he even dropped us off some brownies."

Claire smiled, drying her hands off on her shirt. "That Chris, such a nice young man."

Daniel leaned against the counter. "Yeah, he seemed nice." He placed the brownies down, before slowly inching away. "I'm gonna start unpacking my stuff."

"Don't take too long! We're going to go and eat out later for lunch."

"I won't, call me when we're ready to leave," Daniel called for Mushroom, who rose up from her spot on the couch. The two walked up the stairs and into his new bedroom. _"Mom's bedroom..."_ he thought to himself. He stood in the middle of the barren room. Sighing, he walked over to the mattress and slumped down. Mushroom followed, sitting down by the side of the bed. After a few moments of sitting in silence, Daniel fished his phone from out of his pocket. He tapped at a few buttons before initiating a FaceTime call.

 

The room was filled with the sounds of drunken laughter and glasses clinking together.

Daniel smiled. "What's the occasion?"

"Hey _enano_ ! We're actually in Costa Rica right now on vacation." Daniel frowned. _"Great, you're even_ farther _away this time."_

"Hey, Sean! You watching porn without me or something, what are you smiling at your phone for?" A familiar figure passed behind Sean and settled into the seat next to him. He placed a kiss on Sean's cheek, before looking down at the screen. "Oh, it's our darling baby brother Daniel!"

Daniel laughed. "Hey, Finn. Are you... drunk right now?"

He slyly put his finger to the corner of his mouth. "Maybe just a little bit."

Sean chimed back in. "So, how're you settling into Beaver Creek?"

Daniel ran his hands through his hair. "To be honest," he looked around his room once more, "I'm not loving it. I would rather not have to stay in this dusty old town for the rest of the summer. I'm still pissed at dad for making me come here."

Sean frowned. "Daniel, you know that it's for the best. Especially after what happened this school year." Daniel rolled his eyes. "Stop. You know how much I hate when you do that. Can you at least _try_ to do this, for dad's sake?"

Daniel let out a deep, heavy sigh. "Yeah, I guess."

"Think on the bright side, little dude," Finn chimed in again, his head leaning on top of Sean's. "Your dad even let you take your lil' pup with you."

"Only cause Mushroom would be a _wreck_ without me. Plus, dad's allergic to dogs."

The two looked offscreen for a moment, more drunken cheers filling the room. "Oh shit, our food's here. Daniel, we'll talk about this later, I promise."

And just like that, Sean hung up, leaving Daniel in the quiet.

_"Whatever,"_ he thought to himself, putting his phone back into his pocket. He closed his eyes, letting himself have a moment of reflection. He smiled to himself. _"I'll probably bother that Chris kid tomorrow."_ He sat up, Mushroom's head perking up. "We should probably unpack all this shit, shouldn't we, 'Shroom?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from _"Anything Could Happen"_ by Ellie Goulding.


	2. I Forgive You, Mother, I Long to Be Near You

Mushroom rushed out as soon as the door opened, flopping onto the grass outside and rolling around. Daniel followed shortly after, closing the door behind him. It was a quiet Sunday morning, Claire and Stephen had already left for church. He stood there for a moment, taking in the fresh air. He sighed and walked up behind the dog. "What do you say, Mushroom? You wanna play?" She sat straight up, barking loudly at Daniel. The two ran back and forth for a while, from one end of the yard to the other. "Shit!" Daniel's fell facefirst to the ground, his foot tangled in one of the tree's roots. While getting up, he spotted the tree in the backyard the next house over. On top of the tree sat an old wooden treehouse, and in that treehouse, a pair of legs kicking in the breeze. "...Chris?" The legs stopped kicking, freezing in place. Daniel smiled. "Hey, Chris! Get down here!" Daniel lifted himself off of the ground, brushing the dirt off of his pants before walking towards the fence. Chris had already beaten him there.

 

"Hi, Daniel." He looked at the dog behind him. "Aww, how cute. What's its name?"

Daniel looked behind him. "Her name is Mushroom, named her myself!"

"When'd you get her?"

"Well, maybe... seven years ago, my dad took my older brother and me on a road trip down to visit his hometown, Puerto Lobos. We stopped by this dodgy gas station on the way there, and found this thing all alone." he pointed towards Mushroom, who sat down next to Daniel, panting. "She was free, actually, but the lady that worked at the counter wouldn't let us take her. She was acting like we were suspicious, stealing shit from her store or something."

Chris frowned. "Oh, Daniel... I'm so sorry you had to deal with that."

"It wasn't _all_ bad. There was this one guy that defended us, swore we didn't take anything." He was a blogger of some sort, I think? He was pretty cool. My brother found his blog later and has been following it ever since. After she decided we were 'innocent' or whatever, she let us take the dog off her hands, but she sure wasn't too happy about it. We were stuck with her after that."

Kneeling, Daniel cupped the dog's face in his hands, before looking to Chris. "So, what're you doing all alone on a Sunday morning?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, a goody-two-shoes like you should probably be at church or whatever, right?"

Chris chuckled. "No, my dad... he's not into that religious stuff, so we never really go."

"So that means your free, right?"

Chris crossed his arms. "I guess, yeah. Why do you ask?"

"Well," he rose up from the ground, putting his hands on his hips, "I was wondering if you'd like to come and fuck around town with me."

"I'd love to, but..." he looked to his house. "My dad would probably wonder where I went."

Daniel scoffed. "Dude, _fuck_ your dad. Live a little, have some fun." He leaned into the fence, closer to Chris. "You'd only be gone for a couple of hours, what's wrong with that?"

Chris stood still, deep in thought. "...Alright, yeah. I'll come along."

"Yes! " he hopped up and down, "I'll go get the-" Daniel stopped jumping, the smile on his face fleeting.

"...What? What's wrong?"

"It's just that... I don't have a car. My grandparents took the only one when they headed out to church this morning. We're shit out of luck now."

Chris looked to the ground. "Maybe we could... take my dad's car? He hasn't driven it in months."

Daniel looked him in the eye. "Dude, are you serious? You can do that?"

Chris gulped, looking away. "Maybe. He's... asleep right now, so I could probably sneak back in and... steal them."

Daniel began his jumping again. "Alright! I'll be waiting outside, try not to take too long, alright?"

 

* * *

 

_"Shit, what am I about to do? Stealing? From my dad, no less."_ Chris quietly closed the door behind him as he reemerged back inside his house. He crept across the house into the dining room and kitchen. He looked to the key holder. _"Yes! There it is."_ He snatched the key from its hook, before creeping back to the front door.

"...Chris? Christopher?"

_"SHIT!!!"_ He turned to his drunken father on the couch. His hands behind his back, he hid the keys. "H-hey, dad."

Charles rubbed his eyes. "What're you doin', stomping around the house like this when I'm trying to sleep..."

Chris gulped. "I'm just collecting things... Daniel and I are going to hang out."

"Daniel? Who the fuck is Daniel?" Charles scratched at his neck, staring Chris down.

"...The kid next door, Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds' grandkid? I told you about him yesterday, don't you remember?"

The silence in the room felt _thick_ and _heavy._ Charles stared him down for what felt like an eternity, before flopping back down onto the couch. "Whatever. Oh, if you're leaving, bring me back something to eat. I'm fucking _starving._

Chris simpered to himself. "W-will do, dad. See you later." And with that, he slipped out the door.

"Well, how did it go? Did you get them?" Chris rose his right hand, the keys hanging from his index finger. Daniel beamed.

"Chris, you are the fuckin' man! Come on, let's get going!" The two rushed over to the car. Chris unlocked the car and grabbed for the passenger side handle. "Dude... what're you doing?"

Chris turned. "What do you mean?"

"It's _your_ dad's car, dude. Aren't you gonna drive?"

"My dad... never really taught me how to drive."

Daniel stood there, looking at Chris. "Dude, that's fine. Get in." Chris opened the door, climbing into the seat. While buckling up, Daniel opened the door and sat down in the driver's seat. "Plus," he said, patting Chris on the chest, "maybe _I_ could teach you to drive instead.."

Chris' eyes widened again. "S-sure! I would like that. A lot." He tried his best to steady his beating heart.

Daniel put the vehicle into drive. "Let's do this."

 

If Chris were to tell the truth, that day with Daniel had to have been one of _the most_ fun times he had in a long, _long_ time. Sure, all the two of them did was drive around town, making fun of store signs and anyone that shot them dirty looks from outside, but to Chris, nothing felt better, more freeing than that day with Daniel. After a while, the two began to feel hungry. They decided to stop by one of the local drive-thrus.

"Hello, welcome to ACFC, how may I take your order?"

"Yeah, hold on a minute." Daniel turned to Chris. "What're you getting?"

"A burger is fine."

Daniel turned back to the speaker. "I'd like to get two burgers. Put some fries in too, large."

"And would you like any drinks with that?" Daniel turned to Chris again.

"Oh, a Diet Coke is fine with me."

Daniel looked at him for a second before turning back to the speaker. "Yeah, one Diet Coke and one Sprite, both large."

"And will that be all?"

"Y-"

"Wait! Order another burger."

"Just wait." He turned back to Daniel.

"My dad wanted me to grab him something on the way home."

Daniel chuckled. "Shit, alright then." He turned back to the speaker one final time. "Yeah, I'd like to add another burger to the order.

"And will that be all?"

"Yes, finally."

"Alright, your total is $24.46. Please pull up to the next window."

Daniel made a whistling sound. "Damn, that's _a lot_ of money. You better be glad I like you." Chris chuckled, looking out the window in an attempt to hide his reddening cheeks.

 

They sat in the parking lot, talking and singing along to the radio in between bites and sips.

"I still can't _believe_ you ordered _Diet Coke._ "

Chris turned to Daniel. He was in the middle of sipping from his straw. "Dude, what's wrong with Diet Coke?"

Daniel scoffed. "Besides _literally_ everything? It's fucking nasty, dude."

"Says you, you're drinking literal battery acid." The two broke into a fit of laughter, Daniel nearly choking on his food. The two sat in comfortable silence for a while after that, before Chris spoke up again. "Hey, Daniel?"

He looked up from his burger, sauce dripping from his chin. "Yeah, what's up?"

"I just... wanted to say thanks. For taking me out here today."

Daniel chuckled, popping a fry into his mouth. "Dude, you don't need to thank me for anything, we're just hanging out. It's no big deal."

"Alright... But for real, thank you. I didn't feel like staying around my house today. My dad, he gets-" Chris stopped.

"Chris?" Daniel looked at Chris.

"Nevermind, forget I said anything.

"What do you mean, he gets _what?_ "

"Daniel, I don't want to talk about this anymore."

This time, the silence between them was uncomfortable.

"So... how'd you end up here in Beaver Creek?"

Daniel turned back to Chris. "Oh. Well," Daniel took his drink and took a long sip, before setting it back down, "if I'm gonna be honest, I was _real shitty_ back in Seattle. I was doing a lot of dumb shit. Drinking, partying, fighting, staying out past curfew, intimacy from people I didn't even know, drugs, smoking-"

"Daniel..." he turned to Chris, a concerned look on his face.

"Dude, don't worry. It wasn't anything _hardcore._ Most of the time, at least. I tried coke one time, didn't like it." Daniel let out an awkward chuckle. "My dad was _real_ pissed about the smoking, though. The cigarettes mostly, he didn't care about the pot." Daniel took another sip. "But, to him, the last straw was nearly flunking out of school this year. I was just. So _sick_ and _tired_ of it all. So why even bother, right? The only reason they didn't hold me back was that one of my friends back in Seattle, Noah, saved my ass."

"So... why did you do it?"

"Dunno, probably had something to do with my brother, Sean leaving for college. He ditched me like a dirty shirt to live it up in California with all his new friends." Chris noticed his lip trembling. "He is-" he interrupted himself, " _was_ my rock. We were each other's after our mom died."

"Daniel, I didn't know. I'm so sorry."

He took a deep breath, sniffling. "It's alright. It's been what, eleven years now? The doctors said it was pneumonia or some shit. She was so healthy, vibrant, _alive_ one day, then bedridden the next."

"I get it. My mom, she's dead too."

Daniel looked at Chris. "Shit... how long ago?"

"Nine years. They said it was a hit-and-run. We never found out who did it, why they did it, why they just _ran away._ I think," he wiped a tear falling down his cheek, "I think my dad never really got over it. I guess I didn't either." He felt Daniel's hand on his shoulder. He took a deep breath in, his heart beating.

"Well, shit," Chris could see tear marks on Daniel's cheeks. "I guess this whole talk makes us each other's therapists or some shit."

Chris laughed. "Yeah, I guess so."

 

* * *

 

The two pulled into the Eriksen's driveway. Daniel put the truck into park, before turning back to Chris. "Well, we're here."

"I know you said I didn't need to say it, but seriously. Thank you again for this."

Daniel smiled. "You're welcome." The two said their see-you-laters before parting ways. Daniel opened his front door.

"Daniel? Is that you?"

"Yeah," he slipped his shoes off, walking into the living room. He plopped down on the couch, next to Stephen.

"Where did you run off to?" He set down the remote between the two of them, looking to Daniel. "We looked everywhere for you when we came back, but you weren't here."

"I was hanging out with Chris. His dad let us take his truck, so we drove around town for a little bit before grabbing lunch." He felt Claire's hands on his shoulders.

"You know, I think it's just so sweet of you to be spending time with Chris. With how much he takes care of his father, I think he could use a boy his age in his life to spend time with."

 

Daniel closed the door behind him. He looked around his room. Claire had helped him put the proper bedding onto the once bare mattress. Daniel's pillow from Seattle sat on the bed, along with Mushroom, who had sprawled herself out on her back.

"Hey, Shroom." She looked up to Daniel, rolling over onto the floor and trotted over to Daniel, who sat down at the desk. He sighed, opening his laptop and clicking the blue Skype icon. He clicked on his father's name.

"Hey, kiddo!" Daniel could tell that his father had just been working in the garage, motor oil splattered across his white undershirt. "How're you settling in with your grandparents?"

"It's alright, I guess. Just got back from hanging out with the kid next door, his name is Chris. You'd probably like him. He's a goody-two-shoes, just like Sean."

Esteban frowned. "Daniel, I know you're still mad at me. But remember that this is for the better, you need a space away from the one you created for yourself here."

Daniel opened his mouth to say something but was cut off.

"DANIEL! Can you come down here for a second?!"

Daniel sighed. Sorry, dad. Grandma's calling me. I got to go."

Esteban sighed. Well, alright. Just know that I love you, _mijo._ "

"Yeah," Daniel smiled slightly. "I know." He hung up, closing the laptop and the bedroom door, Mushroom following behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from fifth verse of _"Death with Dignity"_ by Sufjan Stevens.


	3. Fly Me to the Moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for _Neon Genesis Evangelion_ and _End of Evangelion_ ahead!!!

The two of them sat in Chris' old treehouse in silence. Chris looked off into the distance, his legs kicking freely, humming a quiet tune to himself. Daniel laid behind him, balled up inside the tight confines of the treehouse once meant for a small child. He held a booklet in his hands, occasionally flipping pages.

"What'cha reading?" Daniel looked up, Chris trying to take a sneak peek.

"Don't worry, dude. I'm not looking at porn or anything up here. It's a comic book."

Chris' eyes lit up. "A comic book? Of what?"

"Power Bear, I think it's an old issue. Older than my brother, at least." Daniel looked at Chris. His eyes had lit up.

"You... like Power Bear?"

"Yeah. I use to eat this shit up back when I was a kid. I grew out of it when I entered middle school, but my dad let me take some of his old issues to read on the way here. It's all as good as I remember." He placed the book down, looking up at Chris again. "Why do you ask?"

Chris had scooted deeper into the treehouse. His back against the wall, his right knee up against his chest and his left leg stretched out to the side, his foot still hanging outside. "I've never had anyone to talk with when it comes to superheroes and stuff. My dad doesn't care about anything besides basketball, and your grandparents are-"

"Too old?"

"D-Daniel! No! Your grandparents took me to see a Marvel movie when I was twelve, and they were _really_ lost."

"So what you're telling me is that they're too old."

"Dude, whatever." He huffed, eliciting a small giggle from Daniel. "What I'm trying to say is that you're lucky to have your brother and your dad. You told me before that they're super into geeky stuff. I don't have that here."

"At least you have me now." Daniel patted him on the knee.

"Yeah," Chris smiled to himself, looking back out into the distance, "I guess I do."

The two sat in silence for a couple of minutes, before one of them spoke again.

"So, did you ever get around to watching any of the other Marvel movies?"

Chris turned back to Daniel, who looked up at him quizzically.

"Not really. I lost track of time, and before I knew it, there were a ton more out than I felt comfortable trying to keep track of."

"Well then," Daniel said, drumming onto the wooden floorboards of the treehouse, "looks like we've got *lots* of catching up to do."

 

It was a pleasant arrangement. The two would sit in Daniel's living room every night and binge-watch as many movies as they could fit in. They sat together on the couch, staring at Daniel's computer as Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, and Robert Downey, Jr. flew around the screen, saving the day left and right. As the credits rolled on their last movie, Daniel turned to Chris, bathed in the light emanating from the computer screen.

"So, you into anime?"

Chris turned to him. "Uhh, sorta? I've only ever seen the real basic, entry-level stuff."

"And you said earlier that you're a big fan of robots?"

"Yeah, did I forget to show you all the old stuff from my room? I've got a whole collection of robot toys that I-"

Daniel looked to him, smiling. "You down to watch another thing, then?"

"Tonight? It's almost one in the morning, dude."

"We can take a break, what I've got planned for you is _definitely_ worth the wait."

 

The two sat atop the treehouse once again, cramped around Daniel's computer. Two figures, a boy and a girl, lay side-by-side. The boy looks to the side, off into the distance, and spots a ghostly, blue-haired girl floating above the yellow-orange sea. In an instant, she's gone. The boy looks to the girl at his side, covered in bandages. A moment later, he is on top, strangling her. Despite this, the girl reaches up to him and caresses his cheek. He stops and breaks into deep sobs. She stares at him.

"Kimochi warui." Cut to black.

"Holy shit."

"I told you, right? Just be happy that you didn't watch this high your first time like I did, I was _fucked_ for like, a whole week afterward."

Daniel got up from the couch, heading to the kitchen to grab a snack. "You want anything?"

"No, I'm good, thank you." Chris continued to stare at the computer screen.

Daniel plopped back down onto the couch, fruit snacks in his hand.

"Honestly, I'm surprised you're into this sort of stuff."

Daniel's eyes widened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's just that you don't seem the type to enjoy stuff like this."

Daniel placed his hand on his heart, slightly patronized. "What do you mean? It's one of the greatest sci-fi stories ever told, how could I _not_ enjoy it?"

"What do you think about the ending?"

"Huh?" Daniel looked at Chris, cocking his eyebrow.

"I mean, what do you think it all means?"

"I think it's funny, in an ironic sort of way. Shinji spent the whole series afraid of rejection, and the moment he decides to open up and hope for everyone to return, they rejected him. I mean, that's why he snapped in the end and choked Asuka, right? He spent all that time waiting, built a grave with Misato's pendant and everything because _nobody_ came back."

Chris clicked his tongue. "See, I don't agree."

"Oh yeah?" Daniel scoffed, throwing his arm over his knee, looking at Chris. "Well, what do _you_ think then, huh?"

"Well, just because Shinji and Asuka were the only ones there in the ending, it doesn't mean that they're the _only_ ones who will come back. Even if it takes years, I think that _somebody else_ will eventually join them. And how is everyone rejecting him? The only thing they're rejecting is _their own_ individuality. Shinji gave everyone the _option_ to come back if they wished to do so, not a suggestion or a plea. And I don't think he was crazy or anything in the end, when he was strangling Asuka. I think he was trying to make sure everything was real, post-instrumentality. If Shinji were crazy, he wouldn't have stopped strangling Asuka when she started caressing his cheek."

Daniel 's arms slowly dropped from his chin. "I, uh. I never really thought about it that way. Huh."

"Well," Chris patted Daniel on his knee, "I'm glad I could enlighten you." The smile on his face disappeared as he jumped up for the couch. " _Shit,_  what time is it?!" He looked at the phone in his hand. The time read 11:39 pm. "I'm really in for it now if my dad's still awake, I-"

"Dude, chill." Daniel placed a reassuring hand on Chris' shoulder. "I can... walk back with you if you want? Take the blame if I need to."

"I- ...I would appreciate that, Danny. Thanks."

_"...Danny?"_ Daniel felt an awkward twinge of _something_ in his stomach. He looked away quickly, feeling the blood rushing to his cheeks.

 

The walk to the Eriksen house was quiet, serene. As the two walked side-by-side, Daniel could hear Chris humming the opening of Neon Genesis to himself. They both looked into the windows, a sigh of relief escaping from Chris' lungs upon seeing the dark living room.

" _Yes,_ he's asleep. Thank you, Daniel, for coming over here with me anyways. I don't know what I'd do if I had to deal with him alone."

"It's no problem, that's what friends are for, right?" Daniel was surprised by Chris' sudden embrace, hugging him back after a few moments of silence between the two. "Just to let you know; next time we start binge-watching shit again, we're doing it at your house, alright?"

Chris exited from the hug, a smile on his face. "I think I'd like that a lot."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from _"Fly Me to the Moon"_ , the original ending theme of _Neon Genesis Evangelion_ covered by Claire Littley.
> 
> Sorry if this seemed a little self-servicey, I’ve really gotten into _Evangelion_ recently as Netflix finally started streaming it, and the idea of these two watching and discussing the controversial endings of _Neon Genesis_ and _End of Evangelion_ got the gears in my head really turning. (Also, ripperoni to Netflix for butchering the dub, sub, the ending credits, and Kaworu as a character ctfuuuu).


	4. Every Night Fucks Every Day Up, Every Day Patches the Night Up

Daniel was shaken awake by the thunder outside. Lying in bed, he looked up to the ceiling. "Shit," he murmured to himself, quietly, "forgot that Grandma wanted me to do my laundry." He scoots himself to the edge of the bed, sitting there for a moment to rub the last remnants of sleep from his eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, Daniel spots Mushroom perked up, her head tilted, her eyes full of inquiry. He chuckles to himself. "Don't worry, pup, stay here. I'll be right back, promise." He rose to his feet, taking a few moments to stretch his arms and legs. Yawning, he scratched his lower back before picking up the hamper from the corner of his room.

 

Something about the rain that night made Daniel feel uneasy. Usually, he liked the sound of rain mixed with the occasional clap of thunder. But tonight, something about it all felt...  _ off _ to him. He left the laundry room, his ears filled with the sounds of the doorbell going crazy. He quietly crept to the window. The figure on their stoop stood hunched over, occasionally looking over to the left before returning to their assault on the doorbell. Swallowing hard, Daniel stomped over to the door and flung it open. "Look here, dude, I don't know what the  _ fuck _ your deal is doing this shit at this time of the night, but you've got another thing coming if you keep-" he stopped himself, looking into Chris' big, fearful eyes.

"Danny... please..." Without a word, Daniel pulled the boy into the foyer.

"Chris, what're you doing out right now?! It's raining cats and fucking dogs out there." He looked the boy up and down, head-to-toe. He was soaking wet.  _ "Jesus Christ," _ he thought to himself,  _ "is he shivering?" _

"D-Danny, please... I can't go back th-there." Even soaking wet, Daniel could see the tears streaming down his face.

"...What do you mean? What's going on?"

"H-he's  _ drunk _ and very,  _ very _ angry..." Chris breathed hard. "He w-was throwing shit at me, throwing sh-shit around the house, sw-swearing up a storm."

_ "Shit." _ Daniel ran his hands through his hair. "Alright, let's just...  _ shit, _ I don't know, think this through for a minute. I'm sure we can-"

"What's going on here?" The two turned, Claire quickly walked down the stairs. "Daniel, what is Chris doing here? And  _ why _ is he so wet?"

Daniel turned to his grandmother, trying to put a smile onto his face. "H-hey, Grandma! Chris just came over because he left something last time he came over, I was just about to help him look for it." Daniel could tell he wasn't convincing, the frown on his grandmother's face deepening.

"Let me call Chris' father, maybe he can explain?" She walked down the last few steps of the stair and started making her way towards the living room, towards the phone.

"Grandma, wait!" She stopped next to the aquarium, looking back to her grandson. " _ Please, _ don't call Chris' dad." Claire looked at Daniel for a moment, deep in thought. Then, she looked behind Daniel, to Chris. She watched as he stood there in the foyer, his entire body soaked, his wet hair dark and matted to his forehead, his big blue eyes filled with fear and brimming with tears that spilled down his cheeks.

She sighed deeply. "Daniel, go get him some towels from the bathroom. And find some spare clothes for him to wear for the night while his are in the dryer."

 

* * *

 

 

Chris stood silently outside of the bathroom. Looking behind him, he saw the wet footsteps he had left on the hardwood floor. "I'm sorry... about tracking water into your house."

"Don't worry. It's not that big of a deal." Daniel's head peeked from behind the door, cracked open slightly. "You can come in, dude." Chris pushed the door open, Daniel filling his hands with a large blue towel. "Stay here. I'll find you something to wear for tonight."

As Daniel closed the door behind him, Chris quickly undressed down to his underwear. As he dried off, he took some time to look around the bathroom. He was surprised, despite Mr. & Mrs. Reynolds' sharing what seemed like their only bathroom in the house with Daniel, everything had remained relatively neat and tidy. Well, besides the tubes of toothpaste, sticks of deodorant, and bottles of red hair dye that lined the messy countertop.

A light tapping at the door alerted Chris to Daniel's return. He opened the door slightly.

"You undressed?"

"Y-yeah."

"Cool, hand me your clothes." Chris handed him the pile of wet clothing, a white t-shirt, and some plaid pajama bottoms. "I'll be back, don't take too long in here." Daniel left again, closing the door behind him.

 

Chris stood and looked at himself in the mirror. Daniel had given him a pair of red gym shorts and a black tank top, the detail of a white wolf on the front.

_ "Danny's clothes." _ Slowly, Chris clutched the front of the shirt, raising it to his face. The smell of pot, Chock-O-Crisps, cheap deodorant, and sweat filled his nose.  _ "Smells just like him." _ Letting the cloth drop back down, he walked to the door and opened it. Leaning by another door was Daniel.

"Damn, you look cool, everything fit alright?" Daniel stood up straight, crossing his arms.

"Y-yeah, it's all good. A little big, but it'll do. Thank you."

"You can sleep in my room tonight. The other bedroom is under renovation or whatever, and I'm sure you don't want to sleep all alone downstairs on the couch." Daniel opened the door leading into his room, turning to Chris. "What're you standing around for? Come in."

 

Chris was tackled down to the ground as he walked in, his face assaulted by the dog's tongue.

"Mushroom! Mushroom, down girl!"

"N-no, Danny. It's fine!" He tried his best to reassure him in between fits of laughter and soft shrieks. Daniel lifted the dog and carried her outside, closing the door behind him.

"I'll let her back in when we head to bed. I'm  _ so _ sorry about that, she  _ loves _ meeting new people." He helped Chris up, pulling him up to his feet.

"It's alright, Danny. I've never had a dog before, let alone a pet. It seems nice."

Daniel smiled slightly. "Yeah, it's pretty cool." He flopped onto his bed. Chris followed the memo and sat down on a chair in the corner. "That is until you have to actually like, take care of them and shit. You have no idea how hard it was for her to get potty trained." He thumbed over towards the door, towards Mushroom. "All I'll say is that cleaning up after her the first few weeks was a nightmare."

"Yeah? How so?"

"Well, there was piss and shit  _ everywhere _ . I would forget to let out outside a lot. You would not believe how fuckin' pissed my dad would get. He would threaten to sell her to the neighbors down the street, but then he'd see my start bawling and take it all back."

Daniel's room was  _ big _ . Chris was honestly surprised that Mr. & Mrs. Reynolds let him have all this space to himself. He looked around and noticed one thing missing.

"So, where will I... uh, where will I sleep?"

Daniel turned to him. "My bed.

"Your bed? Then where will  _ you _ sleep?

"...My bed." Daniel scratched the top of his head, staring at Chris.

"A-are you being serious right now?" 

"Yeah, where else would I sleep?" Daniel laughed. "What, you uncomfortable or something?"

"No."

"Then let's head to bed." Daniel rose from the bed, opening the door and allowing Mushroom access back into the room. As he walked back to the bed, he motioned for Chris to get in. He slipped under the covers, pushing himself up against the wall. Daniel lied down shortly after, and Chris could feel Mushroom settle down between the two of them. Daniel fell asleep almost instantly, his soft snores filling the room. Millions of thoughts raced through Chris' head. What will he do in the morning, when he comes back home? Will dad still be mad? Sorry? Remorseful? Will he even remember? But then, he stopped. Laying here in Daniel's bed, the sounds Daniel made in his sleep, Mushroom occasionally looking up and softly barking when the house settled in the night, the two's body heat against Chris' back. It all made him feel safe, at peace. Chris closed his eyes, and, listening to Daniel's breathing, he finally fell asleep.

 

Chris woke up that morning feeling well-rested. The only problem was that Daniel's body was pressed up against his own, his limbs all over. Daniel's chest to Chris' upper back, Daniel's arm over Chris' midsection, Daniel's hairy leg over Chris' thigh. Chris groaned, feeling Daniel's knee poking against his thigh. " _ Guess Mushroom just ditched us, huh?" _ He shifted around, trying to find a way to lay as to feel comfortable and not disrupt Daniel. He sucked in his breath, accidentally hitting Daniel's other leg.  _ "...Danny's other leg?" _ He laid there for a moment before reality started to creep upon him.  _ "Oh no. Oh God, that's not his-, ...it can't be." _ Just then, he heard the boy on top of him groan. His shifting had done its job.

"Hmm?" Daniel laid still for a moment before reality hit him the same way. He almost jumped from the bed, flinging himself to the floor. He sat, hunched over. "Shit, I'm so sorry."

"I-it's fine, dude." Chris looked up from Daniel to the desk beside him. On it sat Chris' clothes from last night, folded neatly.  _ "Shit. Did... did Mr. & Mrs. Reynolds see?" _ He got up, Daniel flinching. "I'm going to... go get dressed in the bathroom, alright?"

"Alright."

 

Chris folded last night's clothing, holding it close to his chest. Walking back to Daniel's room, he knocked softly. After a few moments of standing, Daniel opened the door, already dressed for the day. Chris raised the pile to Daniel. "Where'd you like me to put this?"

Daniel leaned in the door frame. "I thought that you could... keep those. If you wanted to, that is?"

"Really?" Chris' eyes lit up.

"Yeah, you look so much better in them than I do. Plus, you really need to find some new P.J.'s the grandpa attire is kinda hard on the eyes."

Chris looked down at his clothes. "What's wrong with my pajamas?"

Daniel scoffed. "Besides  _ everything? _ " The two laughed for a while before Daniel's eyes met with Chris' again. "So, what are you gonna do?"

Chris shrugged. "Dunno, probably head back home."

"Have you lost your mind?"

"I have nowhere else to go, Danny. It'll be fine." He started to turn, walking towards the stairs. "Besides, he's probably too hungover to remember last night."

Daniel began to follow him. "Can I at least walk you home, in case he tries anything?"

Chris smiled. "Sure."

 

As the two stepped into the foyer, they heard Claire call out. "Daniel? Chris? Is that you?" Daniel sighed, re-directing them to the kitchen.

"Yeah, Grandma, it's us."

"Where are you two going?"

"I'm heading back home."

Claire frowned, looking at Daniel to make sure that they were in agreement. "Are you sure, honey? After last night-"

"I'll be fine, Mrs. Reynolds, I promise."

She let out a soft sigh. "Well, alright. Do you at least want something to eat before you head back?"

"No thank you. I'm not hungry." The two began to walk back into the foyer, Chris turned his head. "Thanks again for folding my clothes!" She had shouted something back, but it was fruitless. Both boys were already gone.

 

The two boys made it to the fence that separated the two houses before Daniel spoke up again. "Chris, are you  _ really _ sure that you want to head back now?"

"Danny, I told you already. I'll be fine." He placed his hand on Daniel's shoulder.

"Well, if you say so." Daniel looked down. "But, if anything like that happens again... don't be afraid to come back."

Chris threw himself onto Daniel, wrapping his arms around him. He could feel the other boy hesitate for a second, before returning the favor. The two parted and continued to walk. Chris walked across the lawn and up the stairs to the door. He stood for a moment before placing his hand on the doorknob. He turned. There stood Daniel, watching him. Daniel raised his hand, waving, and Chris waved back. Turning back, he took a deep breath, turned the doorknob, and entered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from second verse of _"Nights"_ by Frank Ocean.


	5. Wish I Could Quit You, Got Your Name Across My Chest

Daniel smirked to himself, watching from the corner of his eye as Chris stared with a look of intrigue at him. "You checkin' me out or something, dude?"

"Hmm?" Chris looked Daniel in the eyes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to stare. It's just that your piercings, they're so cool."

"You think so, huh?"

"Yeah, your hair too. It all fits a sort of punk rock aesthetic."

"I'm probably gonna let it fade out."

"Why?"

"Well, grandma's been on my ass about how the dye's gonna 'kill my hair' or whatever." He laughs. "She keeps telling me to enjoy my hair, tries to scare me with threats of male-pattern baldness or whatever."

"Well, dark hair fits with the punk look too, I guess. Did it hurt? Getting your piercings, I mean."

"Eh, not really." He ran his finger over the ring in the corner of his mouth and on his nostril. "These two hurt more than the one in my ear, but that's not saying much. It all matters on  _ where _ and  _ what _ you get pierced, I guess. Sort of like tattoos."

"Ooh, do you have any tattoos?"

Daniel rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, but... you wouldn't want to see it."

"Why? You have it on your ass or something?"

"What? No, it's just... not that interesting, that's all. Just forget about it, it's not that important."

Chris smirked, crossing his arms. "Well, if it's  _ that _ unimportant, then you wouldn't mind me seeing it, right?"

Daniel sighed. "Alright, alright. Just promise me that you won't laugh, alright?"

Chris placed his hand over his heart. "I promise."

"Come here, then." Chris slumped off the chair, sliding towards the side of the bed.

 

Slowly, he pulled the pant leg of his jeans up and rolled his sock down. There on his inner right leg laid his tattoo. It was an x-formation, made up of a pickaxe and sword crossed together.

"Oh my God, is this a Minecraft thing?"

"Sh-shut up, dude! I told you it was stupid." Daniel groaned. "I hate it. I got it back when I was fourteen because I saw my brother walking around with a tattoo from one of his friends, a bunch of trees or some stupid shit like that."

"Danny, don't be embarrassed about it. I think it's cool." Chris ran his fingers over the marking.

Daniel's expression softened. "I guess it isn't  _ that bad. _ "

"That's the spirit." Chris scooted away from the bed, laying down on the floor. He stared up at the ceiling, his hands behind his head. "I've always wanted a tattoo, you know."

Daniel chuckled. "Yeah, right. You, Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes wants a tattoo? I don't believe that for a second."

"I'm serious, dude." Chris sat up, facing Daniel. "I've always wanted one, but my dad... he would  _ kill me _ if I ever actually went through with it."

"You could always just put it somewhere he won't see it. That's what I did." He kicked his leg up in the air, showing off his ankle.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Hell yeah, I'm right. We could get you one right now if you're serious."

"I'd love to, but wouldn't the parlors all reject us? We're too young."

"No, I mean we could get you one  _ right now, _ I could do it for you."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah! I should be able to find everything I need. It would probably be a simple stick and poke, but it would still count."

 

The day passed by quickly after that. During that evening, Chris asked his father if he could sleep over, to which he responded with his usual drunken grumbles. Chris ate supper with the Reynolds that night, and after thanking them for the meal and helping with dishes, everyone checked into bed. Everyone, except the two boys.

Daniel smirked, leaning on the wall. "Still wearing my clothes, huh?"

"Dude, you offered them to me. And it's not my fault they're comfortable."

"Whatever you say, dude." Daniel sat down at his desk, swiveling the chair to face Chris. "So, where do you want it?"

"You said a good place to hide a tattoo is the ankle, right? Put it there."

"All right then, come over here."

"...Huh?"

"Dude, get your scrawny ass over here and get on the desk."

Chris inched towards Daniel before sitting down.

"Now, get your foot up on there."

"Are you serious?"

"How else am I gonna do your ankle, dude?"

Chris opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it. He raised his foot up to the table.

"Now, the big question; what do you actually want?"

Chris smiled. "Surprise me."

Daniel sucked in air through his teeth. "Alright, but don't blame me if you hate it, alright?" Daniel grasped at Chris' ankle, looking up at him. "I gotta warn you real quick, since your leg is, like, ...all bone and shit right there," he pointed at his inner ankle, "this probably won't feel too great."

Daniel got to work. Gasping, Chris grabbed Daniel's shoulder and gripped tightly. "Shit!"

"Tried to warn you. Keep your voice down, too. Don't want grams and gramps to come in here and see me disfiguring you for life in here."

 

Through heavy breathing, Chris tried to talk. "S-so... where did you uh, get your tattoo?"

Daniel looked up for a moment. "One of my newer buddies invited me to a party. About halfway through it, he convinced me to get a tattoo, since every other kid in the group had already gotten one. Told me that his dad was a professional or whatever and that he would give me one, no fuss for super cheap."

"You want to get anymore?"

"Dunno, maybe? I don't want just another impulse one like before," he nodded down to his own ankle, "I want it to mean something this time."

"I think this is so cool."

Daniel looked up again. "What, me giving you a tattoo?"

"Yeah, I'll have... something to remember you by."

Daniel chuckled. "I'm not gonna get shot when I head back to Seattle. You'll see me again."

"Yeah, I know. But still, it's pretty neat."

"Dude, you're such a dork."

Chris smiled. "Yeah, I know."

The silence that followed between the two of them felt nice, calm. Daniel looked back up to Chris, wiping the spot on his ankle. "All done! Take a look."

Chris looked down. On his ankle was the outline of an animal, a wolf. Its head raised up to the sky, to the moon, howling. "Wow, that's... really cool!" He reached down to touch his ankle and was met with Daniel swatting his hand away.

"Oh no, you don't." He wrapped Chris' leg in clear bandages. "You need to let this heal before you even think of touching it. You'll need to buy a healing balm, I can take you out to get some tomorrow if you want."

Chris smiled, placing his hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Thanks a lot, Danny. I mean it."

The look in Chris' eye. Something about it didn't sit right with Daniel. It made him feel...  _ funny _ inside. He turned away. "Y-yeah, no problem, dude."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from _"Tattoo"_ by Kevin Abstract.


	6. You're Running On My Mind, Boy

The rushing water died as Chris turned the handle down. He dried his hands off with a towel, heading to his father's room. He knocked once. Twice. Three times. Slowly, he opened the door, cringing at the loud creak. "Dad? You still awake?" A loud snore was the only answer he needed. As he entered his room, closing the door behind him, he heard his phone buzzing. Three missed FaceTime calls from Daniel.  _ "Shit." _ He tapped at Daniel's icon, trying to call him back.

Daniel's face filled his screen. "Hey, why didn't you pick up? I called like, three times, dude."

"I'm sorry. I just finished washing the dishes." He looked at the top of his phone, to the built-in clock. The time was 11:39 pm. "What're you still doing up so late?"

Daniel shrugged. "Nothin' much. Tried falling asleep, but couldn't." He shifted, laying on his other side, facing the wall. "So, what'd you have for supper tonight?"

"Spaghetti! I cooked it myself."

"And you didn't offer me any? How rude."

"I barely had any of it. Dad ate most of it, and he didn't even offer to help clean. Said he was 'too tired' or whatever."

"That wouldn't have happened if I was there..."

Chris cocked his eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"...I think Mushroom is trying to get in, be right back."

* * *

 

He placed his phone down on the bed, rising slowly. Daniel walked to the door and opened up, Mushroom bolting straight towards his bed. She lied down at its foot, placing her head down to sleep. Daniel plopped back down and picked up his phone. "Back."

"So... what'd  _ you _ have for supper?"

"Mac 'n' cheese, gram 'n' gramps went out somewhere to eat. I went with them once and didn't like it, so I stayed behind."

"That sounds... nice."

"Well, not all of us are professional chefs like  _ you, _ you know.

"What? What's with the tone, I didn't say anything."

"Mmhm."

"So... have you talked to your family recently? Like, your dad and your brother."

Daniel sighed. "No, not recently. They're ghosting me."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Daniel shifted again, "they haven't answered any of my texts for the past three days. They're not picking up any of my phone or video calls. Neither of them have any reason to, Sean's in Costa Rica with all his hippie-stoner friends and Lyla. And my dad, all he does is hang around the garage."

"Danny... I'm sure it isn't like that."

"Whatever." Daniel huffed, running his hands through his hair. It was silent for a moment before Daniel spoke again. "So, what's your favorite movie?"

"...Why are you asking?"

"Well, we've hung out for a while, and yet, I don't know all that much about you. Aside from what you've told me, of course."

"That... makes sense. It's Frozen."

"Frozen?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"

"Nothin', it's just that... I didn't think of you as the type to enjoy musicals."

"Are you kidding? I  _ love _ Frozen, I used to know all the lyrics to heart." Chris smiled, "I think I still do, to be honest." He looked into the camera. "So, what's  _ your _ favorite movie?"

"Shit, I dunno. Probably Lord of the Rings. My dad, my brother, and I used to watch the whole trilogy every Christmas. It was fun."

"I still think it's so cool how your dad is into geeky stuff."

"Alright, next question. What animal do you think you'd be?

"Ooh, that's a good question." Chris sat for a moment, deep in thought. "I don't know, probably a raccoon?"

Daniel chuckled. "I could  _ totally _ see you as a raccoon."

"I would ask you what animal you think you would be, but I think that's probably obvious." He raised his shirt into view, the white wolf in the frame.

_ "He's still wearing my shirt." _ Daniel placed his phone down, feeling the warmth in his face. "Uhh, why don't you think of a question this time?"

Daniel could almost hear the gears turning in his head before Chris finally came up with an answer. "I've got one. You ever been caught doing something you weren't supposed to? Since you seem to have a reputation as a troublemaker."

"Oh... well, there was this one time," he cut himself off, breaking into laughter. Chris's brow raised again. "There was this one time that my dad caught me... you know..." He made an obscene gesture with his hand.

"...Oh."

"Yeah. I was twelve, and I-"

"TWELVE?!"

Daniel broke into laughter again, seeing the horrified look on Chris' face. "You're telling me you  _ didn't _ start doing that around that time?"

"I mean..."

"Right. Anyways, I found an old magazine in my dad's room while he was working downstairs. He caught me, and it was  _ super _ awkward. He gave me the Talk after that, and I learned pretty quickly to lock the door." He scratched his cheek. "What about you, then? You ever get caught doing anything?"

"No, I've always kept out of trouble."

"Of course, Little Mr. Perfect wouldn't dare." His eyes lit up, a question crossing his mind. "Ooh, this is a good one. What do you like most about yourself?"

"I've always loved drawing. I think I've gotten pretty good at it."

"You'd probably get along with my brother, Sean, then. He  _ loves _ drawing. He does it all the time. He even went to an art school for it."

"What's he planning on doing with drawing after he graduates?"

Daniel shrugs. "Dunno, some webcomic, probably. He has one on Tumblr where he does about his life. It's furry shit, but he has a big following, so I guess it's cool."

"So, what about you? What's your favorite thing about yourself?"

"Ehh, there's not that much to me."

Chris frowned. "That's not true, dude. There's so much to like about yourself."

"Like what?"

"Well," Chris sat up on his bed, "how adventurous you are. Every time we hang out, you always have something schemed up, or you have a new story from life back in Seattle to tell me. It's always fun to hang around you. Also, your sense of humor. You're always joking around about something, you don't let anything get to you, and I think that's so cool." Chris covered his mouth, stifling a yawn. "And your tastes."

"What about them?"

"Dude, you're into so many cool things. The music you listen to, the shows and movies you watch, the clothes you like and all the body modification stuff, you're interested in a lot of shit that I would never have thought of before I met you." He looked into the camera. "Those are probably my favorite things about you."

"Wow, I... that means a lot to hear, Chris. Thanks."

"You're welcome, dude." He smiled again. There was  _ something _ about that smile, that silly, gap-toothed smile that made Daniel feel strange. "Oh, that reminds me. What's  _ your _ favorite thing about  _ me?" _

"Oh, well..." Daniel scratched the back of his neck, "you're so smart. And funny. And talented. And you're one of the sweetest guys I've ever met, and," he could feel his face become more and redder as he went on. "I'm... gonna head to bed. Goodnight, Chris."

"Oh, alright. Goodnight!"

Daniel ended the call. He felt like his heart would burst from his chest, beating at what felt like a thousand beats a minute. And his face, he felt as if it would catch fire right then and there. He felt confused.  _ Angry, _ even. He dropped his phone onto the nightstand beside him, and flopped onto his side, trying to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from chrous of _"Forrest Gump"_ by Frank Ocean.


	7. You're All That I Have, So Please Don't Die

Chris sighed as the soft _click_ of the TV turning off filled the otherwise silent room. He got up from the couch and made his way to his bedroom. He moved his hand towards his pocket, to check his notifications, only to find nothing there. _"Shit.”_ He stopped dead in his tracks, standing in the kitchen. He thought out his day for a moment. He had woken up at nine am and made breakfast for him and his father, then the two watched TV until twelve. After that, he hung around outside for a bit; snooping around in the garage and sitting in his treehouse. _"THE TREEHOUSE!"_ He slipped a sweater over the tank top, green with black stripes, and pajama bottoms over the shorts before slipping out the door.

 

It was a warm summer night. Chris would have regretted slipping different clothes on if it weren't for the mosquitoes. He walked at a brisk pace to his treehouse, swatting at bugs all the while. After grabbing his phone, Chris descended down the ladder, until he noticed _something._ In the distance, a small light occasionally bobbed up and down. He focused. “ _Danny?"_ He was resting next to the wall, Chris could see that there were all sorts of objects surrounding him. _"Cans?"_ Walking closer to the fence, he called out. 

"Danny? Is that you?" Daniel raised his head, locking eyes with Chris. Getting up from his spot on the ground, he started over to Chris, stumbling on the way. "Hey, what're you doing out so late?" Chris could see the still-lit cigarette hanging from Daniel's lips. "What's up with the cigarette?"

"I jusst wanted a midnight ssssmoke, that illegalll or sssomethinggg now?" Chris frowned, Daniel's speech was slurred.

He felt another bug land on his neck, biting him. "Goddamnit." He slapped the back of his neck, swatting at a mosquito that was no longer there. "Can we take this conversation inside or something? I'm getting eaten alive out here."

Daniel groaned. "Ffineeeeeee, I'll beee at yourrrr door in a mmmminuteee." Chris made his way back to the front door, and after a couple of minutes of waiting, Daniel finally showed. Clomping up the stairs with his can of beer still in hand, he emitted a small grunt before trying to walk past Chris, into the house.

"Dude, you can't."

"Ughhhhh, whyyyy not?"

"Because you're smoking, you're going to stink up my house."

"It's not that big of a deal, dude. Just let me in." He made his way to the door, bumping into Chris, who had put himself between the door and Daniel in the process. "Dudeee, what the fuckk is yourrrr issssue?"

Chris sniffed once. Twice. He grimaced. "Dude, are you drunk?"

"Only a little bitt, I onlyyy had a few cannssss, dude. Just let me inn." If Daniel didn't convince Chris then, he certainly didn't when he nearly toppled backward, down the stairs. Chris grabbed onto his arm, pulling him back into place before snatching the cigarette from his mouth.

Daniel whined. "Dude, what the fuck??" He watched in displeasure as Chris dropped it down to the floor before stepping on it, snuffing it out. Taking the cigarette butt in one hand, and Daniel's arm in the other, he pulled him inside.

 

Daniel sat on the couch, watching as Chris threw the butt into the trashcan before approaching him slowly. Without saying a word, Chris grabbed the can from the coffee table where Daniel had put it. "Dude, are you fuucking serious?" Chris walked over to the sink, audibly dumping out the remnants of the can before tossing it into the recyclable bin. Daniel sat, fuming to himself and listening to the sound of the coffee machine brewing a new pot. Chris came back a couple of minutes later, mug in hand.

"Here, drink up."

"Dude, you know that coffee doesn't do shhitt when you're drunk, right?"

Chris shrugged. "It's better than nothing." He sat down one seat away from Daniel, placing his feet on the cushion between them. "I'm gonna be honest; I don't like this, the way you're acting right now. I don't like seeing it. What's going on, dude?"

Daniel exhaled. "It's nothing you should be worried about, I'm fine."

"But I _am_ worried. For the past week now, every time I've asked to hang out with you, you've rejected me."

"I just felt like being alone. I'm not in the mood to hang out, what's wrong with that?"

"I asked your grandparents about it, and they don't know either. They're worried, Daniel. About you."

He scoffed. "Jesus fucking Christ, you're asking Claire and Stephen? What the fuck, dude."

"You're smoking. And drinking. I've never seen you act like this, what's _really_ going on, Danny?"

"Dude, seriously. It's nothing you need to worry about, I'm fine."

"If something's going on, I'd want to know, Danny, we're friends. You can tell me _anything."_

Daniel sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. After a moment of silence, he looked up to Chris. "Alright, you win, dude." He picked up the mug from the table, slowly sipping. "It's just that... it's my dad and my brother. They've been ghosting me."

"This again? Danny, I've already told you. It's probably not even like that."

"Well, why wouldn't it be? They've won't even bother to pick up my texts anymore, and they both never answer my phone calls, or my video calls, either."

"Dude, seriously. You've told me before that your dad works in his mechanic shop in the garage all the time. And your brother, he's literally in a whole other timezone!"

Daniel scoffed. "Bullshit. My dad's been done with Sean's stupid fucking car for _years_ now. And Sean's only ahead of us by one fucking hour. It's fine. I get it; they're sick of me." Daniel let out a cruel laugh, devoid of any humor. "I can't do right by either of them. I'm the fuck up. The useless burnout. The no-good, piece of shit son that can't do right by anybody."

"Danny... stop talking like that about yourself. It's _not_ like that."

"I'd be doing them both a big fucking favor if I just drank and drank until I'm just gone. That way I'll be out of their hair, they won't have to deal with me anymore."

"Dude, I'm serious. _Please_ stop talking like that, you're upsetting me." Chris could feel himself beginning to shake.

"They probably wouldn't even care. I'm not important. Not to my dad and brother, not to anybody at all. I should just," he stopped in the middle of his sentence, feeling Chris' hands on both sides of his face. Daniel felt Chris turn his head, turning him to meet face-to-face. Daniel could see the tears spilling down his cheeks.

"Daniel, stop talking like that about yourself. You matter. You matter _so fucking much."_ Daniel realized that Chris must have scooted closer to him. He was sitting in the seat right next to him. "You need to stop talking like this. You need to stop treating yourself like this. Before you get yourself hurt, or _worse."_  

 

Something else caught Daniel's eye. Underneath Chris' sweater laid a patch of dark bruises on his right arm. Daniel swallowed hard. He suddenly felt as if he couldn't breathe. "Chris... what are these bruises on your arm?" Chris looked down to where Daniel stared. Quickly, he moved his hands away from his face to yank his sleeves back into place.

"O-oh, that. Th-those are nothing. It's just that," Daniel could see that Chris was shaking again, "my dad, he found out about the tattoo, the one you gave me."

"Chris... what did you dad do?"

"N-nothing!" Daniel frowned. He didn't like the way that Chris was stuttering, choking on his words. "He just... tried to grab me, that's all."

Realization hit Daniel like a semi truck. Chris was right. He was _so fucking right._ His drinking, the smoking, the way he was unknowingly gripping Chris' hand. It all reflected the way Chris' father acted. It was Daniel's turn this time, taking Chris' shoulders in his hand. "Chris, I promise that I'll stop this. All of this; the smoking, the drinking, even the self-loathing bullshit, I'll quit all of it, just for y _ou."_

Color flushed Chris' face. "O-oh, that's... great to hear, Daniel. I'm glad for you." He smiled, wiping his tears away. "Now, can we maybe try to figure out something about your situation with your dad and your brother?"

 

The two boys sat in Daniel's room, atop Daniel's bed, their backs against the wall. Mushroom laid on the bed as well, her head laid across Daniel's lap. Daniel held his phone in his hand. He shot a nervous glance over to Chris, who smiled.

"Don't worry, dude. Just go for it."

He let out a sigh before tapping the group call button.

One ring. Two. Daniel could feel his throat tightening up on the third ring. He felt slightly better, feeling the welcomeness of Chris gripping his shoulder. Suddenly, the screen lit up with the faces of his family.

" _Mijo!"_

"Hey, _enano."_

Daniel turned to Chris, a smile on his face. Chris smiled too, before getting up from the bed and settling down onto the chair. "Hey, guys."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from chorus of _"Please Don't Die"_ by Father John Misty.


	8. No One Else Can Make Me Feel the Colors That You Bring

"Where the fuck is he?" Daniel sighed, leaning against the seat. He drummed on the steering wheel with his fingers, hummed along to the radio, fiddled with the air conditioner, anything to pass the time as he waited for Chris to come out of his house. Finally, he broke, fishing his phone from his pocket.

 

chris

hey

outside

Alright, on my way!

 

Three minutes later, Chris finally arrived. "Jesus, dude, what took you so fuckin' long? I'm wasting gas out here." Daniel pursed his lips, watching as Chris slipped into the passenger seat. "You said you had a surprise or something for me, or something?"

"Yeah, you ready?"

Daniel rolled his eyes. "As ready as I'll ever be, dude."

Chris shifted in his seat, facing Daniel. Slowly, he removed the beanie - borrowed, from Daniel - from his head. Daniel had to admit; it was a pretty cool surprise. Chris' hair, one lock on the left side of his head, was colored blue.

"Dude... that's _so fucking cool."_

"You can touch it if you want."

With hesitation, Daniel gingerly touched Chris' hair, running the lock between his index finger and thumb. "This is so cool! Why'd you do it?"

"Honestly, I wanted something different. I was getting so sick and tired of waking up every morning and seeing the same old boring thing. Plus, your hair was dyed the first time I met you, and it looked cool on you. So I thought, why not try it out myself?"

Something dawned on Daniel. "Does your dad... know about this?"

Chris settled back into his seat. "Not yet. He was watching TV when I left. He probably doesn't even realize I'm gone." The beanie in hand, he motioned to Daniel.

"Toss it onto the dashboard. I'll deal with it later."

Chris complied. "Sorry, if there's any dye on it, or whatever."

"It's already blue, so I don't think it's that big of a deal." He rolled his neck. "I can throw it into the washer if it does become a problem, anyways."

"So... where are we going, anyway?"

Daniel shrugged. "Dunno, just kinda thought we would drive around for a little bit, see what piques our interest."

"'Pique?' That's a big word for you." Chris let out a laugh.

"Dude, shut up." Daniel placed his hands back on the steering wheel as Chris put his seatbelt on. "Alright, then. Let's get going."

 

* * *

 

 

"What are we doing here again?"

Daniel fiddled with the rear-view mirror. He looked from his reflection to the corner of his eye, to Chris. "I thought that we should get some snacks and drinks since we won't be home for a while. Plus, _somebody_ took their sweet time dolling themselves up in the bathroom before we left, so now I have to get more gas for the car." 

The two entered the gas station. Chris turned to Daniel, who made a beeline for the back. "Where the hell are you going?"

"Dude, I've got to piss, _badly,_ grab something without me!"

Chris pouted for a minute, before walking alone down the aisles. Squatted down, he eyed a couple of bags, before he felt a buzz in his pocket. Digging his phone out of his pocket, he looked down.

 

Dad

Where r u

Hanging out with Daniel, we're getting snacks at a gas station right now.

Alright

Be home by 6

& bring home someting 2 cook 4 supper

Will do.

 

"Whatcha lookin' at?" Chris jumped, feeling Daniel's hands on his shoulders. He felt him looking over his shoulder, to his phone screen.

"It's nothing, just a text from my dad. He says I need to be home by six tonight, and that I need to bring home something to cook for supper."

"Home by six? Well, shit, we better make the most of it! You grab your little supper, and I'll take care of the snacks and drinks." Daniel darted down to the end of the aisle, looking for the snack that best suited his needs, leaving Chris alone. After searching for a few minutes, he finally settled on two boxes of macaroni and cheese - his father was not picky. The two met back up at the front register. The two put their items down and grabbed for their own pockets.

"Don't worry, Chris, I got it."

"No, I'm fine. Plus, I still owe you for the drive-thru, let me-"

"I'm serious, Chris. On me, my treat."

Chris knew that there was no arguing with Daniel. Silently, he pocketed his wallet. Grabbing the boxes of macaroni, the two left the store and re-entered their car. It was a great day after that. The two talked and laughed all the while, Chris threw one cheese puff after the other to Daniel at his behest, trying to catch them in his mouth while keeping his eyes on the road. The radio acted as background noise to their adventure, until one moment.

"And now, something a little bit different. It's time for a throwback! Up next, the 1975 hit, _'Lovin’ You'_ by Minnie Riperton."

"Holy shit, I _love_ this song! Danny, can you turn it up?" Daniel complied, turning up the radio.

"Lovin' you is easy 'cause you're beautiful, makin' love to you is all I wanna do, lovin' you is more than just a dream come true, and everything that I do is out of lovin' you,"

Daniel watched in sheer amazement, watching Chris perform as he sang along to the song. After a few minutes of listening, Daniel spoke again. "Holy shit, dude. You can _sing."_

Chris snapped out of his trance. "Huh? Oh, th-thank you."

"How do you know that song if it's so old? Shit, I can't even remember anything past my ninth birthday at this point."

Chris looked down, smiling to himself. "My mom used to sing it to me all the time. It was one of my favorites."

Daniel scoffed. "Your mom, huh? Well shit, that's ironic."

"How do you mean?" Chris cocked his brow.

"Shit, don't you know? That song, the lady, Minnie Riperton, right? From what I've heard, she sang that to _her_ daughter to distract her whenever she wanted to go fuck with her husband."

"Dude, how do you even know that?"

"Overheard my dad talking with his friends about it."

"So what're you trying to get at, then?"

"I'm just saying that maybe, just maybe..." Daniel turned to Chris, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Oh my God, dude! Shut the fuck up!" He thwacked him with the bag of cheese puffs.

"Ow!" The two broke into laughter, so much so that they nearly swerved off the road twice. Ten minutes later, the two arrived at a park. 

 

They spent the rest of the day there; fucking around in the jungle gym, taking turns going down the slides, going up and down on the seesaw. They ended the day sitting on the swings, making small talk.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

Daniel turned, looking to Chris. "Sure, go ahead."

"What are the people like back in Seattle. Like, your friends and stuff."

"Well, everyone in Seattle that I know is nice. All my friends are cool. Like," Daniel laughed, thinking to himself, "like Lyla."

"Lyla? That sounds familiar."

"Yeah, I think I mentioned her before. I ever tell you that I had a crush on her?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, _huge._ She's so sweet." Daniel smiled to himself. "Whenever my brother would pick on me, she'd always be by my side to protect me from the Big Bad Brother." He chuckled to himself again. "Needless to say, I was pretty crushed when she started dating Sean.

"Dating?" Chris sat up. "You've never mentioned that, you've only ever mentioned your brother dating Finn."

"Yeah, they got together during the start of their senior year," Daniel swung back and forth, "they were together for a couple of months. But I guess they decided they were better off as just friends, because they split up soon after."

"Are they... still friends?"

"Yeah, didn't I mention that she's in Costa Rica with Sean and all his college friends? She's so buddy-buddy with Sean and Finn, there's no bad blood or anything." Daniel took a sip from his bottle of water. "Don't even get me started on Finn." Daniel sighed. "He's seriously the coolest fucking guy I've ever seen. He's got all sorts of tattoos all over his body and his face. Plus, he's _so fucking nice."_

"How'd Sean meet him?"

"I think another one of Sean's friends, Cassidy introduced them. Sean and Cass were in the same class, and they became fast friends. She introduced him to all her friends, and he met Finn. They hit it off instantly, and they started dating a few months after that."

"What about the others, what're they-" Chris was cut off by Daniel snatching the bag of cheese puffs from his hands. "Oh my God, dude. That's fucked up, give them back!"

"Unh-uh, you've been hogging them this whole time. It's my turn now."

Chris stood up. "Dude, I'm serious! Give them back, or else-"

"Or else what?" Daniel smirked, looking up at him. "You'll have to..." he sprang from his swing and started running, "CATCH ME FIRST!"

"DANNY! Goddamnit..." he began to run after him. The two ran around the park for five minutes, ducking under slides and jungle gyms, hopping over seesaws and benches, sliding between trees and swings, until, finally, "GOTCHA!" Chris tackled Daniel to the ground. They laid there, dizzy, out of breath, wracked with laughing fits, cheese puffs strewn all over the lawn around them. It was all fun, until Chris shot up, sitting up straight. "Shit, what time is it?" He felt around his pockets before looking around the grass, finding his phone between him and Daniel. He looked at the screen.

_6:23 pm._

 

They arrived back home at 7:30. Opening the door, Chris crept in and peeked his head around the corner, his father asleep on the couch.

He sighed. "Thank God. C'mon, let's head to my room." The two boys tiptoed through the house, to Chris' room. "Close the door behind us, will you?" As Daniel quietly shut the door, Chris sat down on his bed. He leaned back, his head thrown backward, his hands to the side of each leg. Slowly, Daniel sat to his side, placing his bottle and beanie to his side.

Daniel chuckled. "Damn. What a day, huh?"

"Yeah." Chris straightened his head, turning to look at Daniel. "That was great. Thanks for taking me out."

"Don't worry, dude. It was nothing." Daniel stretched, placing his arms on the top of his head.

"That wasn't just 'nothing,' dude. That was _fantastic."_ Chris sheepishly smiled. "It's always so fun to hang out with you."

Daniel looked at him. "Yeah, it's... fun to hang out with you too, man."

"Danny," Chris scooted closer to him, "it's always so... refreshing to hang out with you. You're one of the most genuine people I've met this whole time living here in Beaver Creek. I was so excited when your grandma told me that you were coming here, there are almost no other kids that live near here, but that all changed when you showed up. You're such a breath of fresh air from my normal life." He grabbed Daniel's shoulder, squeezing it softly. "Before you came, I use to sit around the house all day moping to myself, bored out of my fucking mind. But you, you're so fun. So adventurous, everything we do together is great, _fuck,_ even if it's just going to the gas station, you make it seem like the coolest fucking thing. You're so accepting of me, of the... issues that I have. You've been my rock through all of this." He squeezed again. "What I'm trying to say is that... you mean _a lot_ to me, Daniel."

Daniel thought it suddenly felt a million degrees hotter in Chris' room. All those feelings returned; the beating in his chest, the butterflies in his stomach. Slowly, he placed his hand on Chris' knee. "I think I... get what you mean. You... mean a lot to me too, Chris."

The two of them turned to each other. Chris cupped Daniel's cheek in his hand and put his forehead to Daniel's, smiling. Slowly, Chris leaned in, Daniel meeting him halfway.

The heat of Chris' body. The softness of his lips. The smell of lavender, flour, and dirt. It all proved too much for Daniel. He broke away suddenly, standing up. "I... I've got to go." He quickly grabs his things before throwing Chris' door open, running through the house.

"...Huh? Who the- CHRIS? WHO THE FUCK IS THIS?"

"Danny?" Chris rushes to the doorway of his bedroom, watching Daniel open the front door. "Danny? Danny, wait! Where are you going?" He's cut off by the slam of the door and the sound of stomping down the stairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Title from third verse of _”Lovin’ You”_ by Minnie Riperton.
> 
> Next (short) chapter coming tomorrow.


	9. Tell the Mirror What You Know She's Heard Before

"Fuck! God  _ fucking _ dammit!" His breathing heavy, Daniel rested his head against the door.

"Daniel? Is that you?"

_ "Fan- _ fucking _ -tastic, just what I need right now." _ Daniel turned, wiping the tears from his eyes. "H-hey, Grandma!" 

"So, how was your day with Chris today?"

Daniel swallowed,  _ hard. _ "It was... it went... good."

"That's great! What did you two do?"

"I, uh... you wouldn't mind if I went up to my room, right? I'm feeling a little tired."

"Oh... well, alright, I suppose. Good night, Daniel." If Claire was trying to hide her worry for her grandson at that moment, she certainly wasn't doing a good job.

 

Quickly, Daniel ran up the stairs and into his room. He threw his things onto his bed. "FUCK!" He fell, hunching down onto the floor. The entire day, the moments shared with Chris played through his mind. 

Talking with Chris in the car. 

_ The way Chris' hair felt in between his fingers. _

Fucking around with Chris in the gas station.

_ The look Chris gave him when he offered to pay for everything. _

The conversations with Chris on the swingset.

_ The way Chris cared enough to ask him about his life back in Seattle. _

Running around with Chris in the park.

_ The feeling of Chris' arms wrapped around his body. Tackling him, pinning him to the ground. _

Listening to Chris spill his heart and soul out to him.

_ Kissing Chris. The heat of his body. The way he felt. The way he smelled. _

_ "FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" _ It all felt unreal, the time he spent with Chris. The feelings he felt for him. No girl, no woman had ever made Daniel feel this way, and to be quite honest, it fucking  _ terrified _ him.

He felt sick, felt angry with himself, with Chris, with this whole goddamned day.

He felt fearful, of whatever he was feeling for Chris.

And he felt guilty. He felt guilty for leaving Chris like that suddenly, out of the blue.

A million thoughts, a million emotions ran through his mind. He curled up on the floor, his body wracked with sobs. He closed his eyes, and for a moment, he hoped that they wouldn't open again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from _"idontwannabeyouanymore"_ by Billie Eilish.


	10. All Wrapped in Cellophane, the Feelings That We Had

Chris stared up at his phone screen. He sighed, his fingers dancing nervously above the keyboard. Slowly, he typed.

 

Danny :)

Danny?

Daniel?

Are you there?

Please don't ignore me.

 

"Chris? Chris, get out here!" He sighed, slipping his phone into his pocket as he rose from his bed.

He entered the kitchen. His father sat at the dining room table, his chin in his hand. He stared at Chris, studying him as if he were something foreign, anything besides his son. "What's with that?" He pointed upwards, towards Chris' hair, he realized. Chris was surprised, frowning slightly.  _ "He noticed it now?" _

"Oh, this?" He touched the lock of hair, still colored blue. "I dyed it maybe three days ago?" Three days. It had been three days since Daniel ran out of his house. Three days since they had kissed.

"Did that neighbor boy have anything to do with it?"

"What? No, I just wanted to try something different. Dad, I promise you it isn't-"

"BULLSHIT!" Charles slammed his fist down onto the table. Chris jumped, feeling the tears already welling in his eyes. He couldn't decide when his father was scarier; when he was drunk or when he was sober. "That goddamned brat has been nothing but a bad influence on you ever since he's moved in next door."

"Dad, that's... that's not true!"

"Oh yeah? Then tell me why you came home with a  _ fucking tattoo _ after hanging out with him, huh?" The memory of coming home still rang loudly in Chris' mind. The screaming, the tears, the iron-clad grasp of his father as he refused to let go. He touched his arm, slowly rubbing. The bruises remained. Deep, dark,  _ ugly. _ "Oh my fucking God, are you  _ still _ upset about that? You know, I wouldn't have had to do that if you had just not gone over to that fucking  _ cockroach's _ house."

"Dad! Don't- don't call him that."

He scoffed, opening his mouth to say something else. Chris could barely hold back his breath of relief as the phone rang out behind his father. "Oh Jesus fucking Christ, what now?" He stomped over to the phone, snatching it from the base and raising it to his ear. "Hello?"

He spoke to the person on the other line for another couple of minutes, letting out the occasional "Mmhmm" and "I see." After a while, he finally concluded with a simple "I'll think about it," before abruptly hanging up.

"...Who was it?" Chris spoke meekly, afraid to cause another sudden fit of anger.

"Just that nosey bitch next door," Chris frowned to himself at the namecalling, but said nothing, "she invited us over for supper tomorrow or something."

"Are we... gonna go?"

He scratched his neck. "Ehh, sure, why not? Why turn down free food?"

Chris nodded. "Alright. Can I, uh, go back to my room now?"

Charles let out a long sigh. "Sure, why not? I'm goin' to bed myself, don't stay up too late, and I swear to fucking God if you wake me up, I'll-" he stopped for a moment, before shaking his head and walking away.

Chris slowly crept back into his bedroom. He jumped up and down in glee as he shut the door behind him.  _ "Finally," _ he thought to himself,  _ "I can get through to Daniel. He can't ignore me if I'm in his own home." _ He stopped, slowly reaching for his phone. He unlocked it, tapping through icons until he reached his messages. Still no response. He sighed, tossing the phone onto his bed. "Oh well, I have all of tomorrow..."

 

The very next evening, the two stood on the Reynolds' family doorstep in their best formal attire. For Chris, a pink polo tucked into cream-colored khakis. For Charles, a stain-free shirt from the floor and an old pair of jeans.

"Well, let's get this over with." Charles rang the doorbell once. Twice. Three times.

"Dad, I think that was-"

"How nice to see you two!" Chris clamped his mouth shut, turning to the woman in the doorway.

"Good evening, Mrs. Reynolds!" Chris smiled, subtly nudging to his father.

"Oh, hey." 

Chris swallowed hard before handing something to her. "Here, Mrs. Reynolds. I baked some more brownies. I remembered you told me that you liked them the first time I brought them over."

"Oh, how thoughtful of you! And please, call me Claire." She stepped back, motioning for the two to come inside. "I'm still cooking supper, so we can all sit and talk in the living room as we wait." 

She led them into the living room, Stephen's nose deep into the newspaper. After sitting down, Claire called upstairs. "Daniel! Your friend Chris and his father are here, come down and say hello!" The group sat in silence as they heard Daniel's heavy footsteps tromp down the stairs. He reached the aquarium, leaning into it slightly. "Oh, Daniel, I'm so sorry! I didn't realize we'd be so short on chairs, let me grab you one from the dining room."

"No. I'm fine. Thanks, Grandma."

Chris turned his head to look at Daniel, who refused to even glance in his direction. Chris thought that his eyes looked... puffier. More red than the last time they had talked.  _ "Has he been crying?" _

"So, Charles! How has your day been going so far?" Chris turned, tuning into the conversation at hand.

"Oh, uh... my day's been... it's been fine. Thanks, um. Thank you for asking." He coughed, scratching his face. "Um, how's  _ your _ day been going?"

"Oh, my day has been fantastic! Earlier this morning, Stephen and I went for a walk, and we saw the most  _ gorgeous _ deer, you had to have been there to believe it! Stephen, tell Charles about the deer we say this morning."

Chris listened to the conversation for a short while. However, his attention was diverted with the subtle sound of the sliding door opening and closing. He looked over, watching as Daniel stretched his arms over his head as he slowly walked deeper into the backyard. He listened to his father make awkward small talk with the Reynolds for a few minutes, before slowly rising from his spot on the couch. "I'm gonna head outside for a second, get a breath of fresh air."

"Oh, alright. Don't spend too long out there. Supper's almost ready!"

"Don't worry. I'll be quick, promise!"

 

Chris turned his head over his shoulder, closing the sliding door behind him. He spotted Daniel over by the other side of the yard, squatting down by the shed. He faced away from Chris, fiddling with something. "...Danny?" Silence. He called out again, slightly louder this time. "Danny?"

"Leave me alone, Chris." His head turned slightly, Daniel's glare alone made the warm summer night feel a million degrees colder to Chris. Slowly, he inched toward Daniel. He could see that Daniel was fiddling with a lock of some sort on the shed, swearing to himself as his attempts at picking it were futile.

"Stop. I'm serious, don't come any fucking closer." He threw the lock into the door in frustration, turning to face Chris.

"Danny, I just... I want to talk to you."

"There is  _ nothing _ to talk about."

"Is this really how it's going to be, Danny? After all the time we've spent together, you're just going to avoid me?"

"Get the fuck out of my face, Chris."

"Daniel, you can't just... ignore what happened between us that night."

_ "Nothing _ fucking happened between us, Chris, abos-fucking-lutely nothing." He huffed, crossing his arms. "It was just... a stupid accident."

Daniel's words hit Chris hard. They felt like knives in his chest. "N-nothing? An accident? I-," he stopped himself, feeling the tears about to form again. "F-fine, if that's how you feel..."

"Jesus fucking Christ, I don't have to listen to this shit." He stomped past Chris, only stopping as he felt a hand wrap tightly around his arm.

He turned, meeting Chris' eyes. "Stop pretending that you don't hate me now. At least give me that, Daniel." 

He felt sick, watching the tears roll down the other boy's cheeks. He scoffed. "Hate you? When did I say that I fucking hated you? It's just that-"

"Just  _ WHAT, _ Daniel?" Daniel jumped, watching as even Chris himself seemed startled by the sudden rise of tone. "You haven't talked to me in  _ three fucking days! _ You haven't been reading my texts. You've been rejecting all of my calls.  Don't give me that bullshit now, Daniel."

"Chris, I-"

"Daniel, I  _ deserve _ an answer. Give me that, at least."

"IT'S BECAUSE I'M SCARED, ALRIGHT?!" 

Chris looked at Daniel, watching as all the ego, all the bravado and machismo fell, slipping from his face. "...What?"

"I'm... scared, Chris. This...  _ thing _ between us. You're  _ nothing _ like all the other fucking creeps that live in this fucked-up town, Chris. You're special. To  _ me. _ " Daniel breathed hard, feeling the tears stinging his eyes. "I've... never felt this way about anyone, any girl back in Seattle. And part of me is scared that you're just gonna leave me like my fucking brother when I needed him most." He backed away from Chris, backing into the fence and slumping down onto the ground below. Finally, throwing his face into his hands, he let out a choked sob, feeling the tears stream down his cheeks.

Slowly, Chris lowered himself down onto the ground, next to Daniel. Chris wrapped his arms around him, letting Daniel's tear-soaked face fall onto his shoulder, his sobs muffled by the pink cloth of his shirt, his tears soaking in. They sat there for a moment, Daniel's cries softening as Chris whispered affirmations and sweet nothings into his ear, patting his back. "It's alright, Danny, it's all alright. I won't leave you."

Suddenly, Daniel's face rose from Chris' shoulder. "So... you don't think it's... weird?"

"What?"

"Me... liking you."

"Of course not, dude. I like you too."

"No, I mean like, liking you and still... liking women."

"Oh." Chris smiled softly. "You don't think it's weird that your brother is into men and women, right?"

"Of course not! He's my brother, why would I think that about him?"

"Well, don't think that way about yourself, you big dork." He laughed softly, feeling a sense of peace as he heard Daniel join him. Silently, Chris placed his forehead to Daniel's. The two stopped laughing and stared at each other for a moment. Chris leaned in, grasping Daniel's shoulder, cupping his cheek in his hand as Daniel softly grabbed onto his knee. Even with the roughness of Daniel's chapped lips, the smell of cheap deodorant, and the taste of store-brand cola, kissing Daniel felt right, cathartic almost.

Their lips parted, Daniel sat up straight, clearing his throat. "Shit, sorry if that... sorry if I sucked."

Chris chuckled. "No, dude," he squeezed Daniel's shoulder, "it was perfect." He leaned his head onto Daniel's shoulder, watching the sun as it set in the sky. "You know... if you still feel...  _ weird _ about it, you can ask Sean, right? He's probably dealt with these sorts of feelings before."

"Yeah... you're probably right.

"Boys? Are you still out there?"

"Shit," Daniel whispered between them as he looked over, seeing his grandmother standing in the doorway. "Coming!" The two rose up, side-by-side as they walked back to the door.

"So, what were you two doing, acting all chummy by the shed?" Claire smiled, folding her hands in front of her.

"Oh, we were just... talking." Daniel turned to Chris, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, talking about the upcoming school year and all that."

"Well, alright. I just wanted to tell you two that dinner's ready, go wash up upstairs, we'll be waiting for you."

 

"Wow, Mrs.- I mean, Claire, you're food is great!" Chris looked to the opposite side of the table as he twirled the noodles onto his fork.

Charles stared down at his plate, sitting next to him at the head of the table, in front of the window. "Yeah, it's... pretty good.

"Oh, thank you so much! Daniel told me that it was your favorite meal, so I thought 'why not cook it for tonight?' After all, it's such a special occasion, you two coming over. You know, Chris, Daniel is always talking about hanging out with you, it's all that's on his mind." 

Daniel blushed, listening to Chris snicker. "Grandma... can you not do this right now..."

"Oh, but why not? Chris, Charles, you two have been so kind to our Daniel ever since he's showed up here in Beaver Creek. You two have almost become family to us."

Chris tried his best to listen to Claire as she continued on. However, he found it hard as he felt a hand snake its way, intertwining fingers with his Chris'. The two looked at each other, smiling as they squeezed each other's hand. At that moment, Daniel had decided that there was no other place he'd rather be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from _"Cellophane"_ by FKA twigs.


	11. Pretty Eyes, Pirate Smile, Tiny Dancer in My Hand

"What're you fiddling around with the radio for?" Chris hugged his knee atop Daniel's bed. Daniel stood opposite of him, in front of his dresser where the radio sat. Chris remembered that it was a possession of his mother's.

"Well, I didn't know that I should've brought over some of my CDs from home when I came here, so I went snooping around my grandparents' stuff."

"Did you find anything?"

"Well, that depends..." Daniel turned to Chris, showing off the CD cover to him.

"Your grandparents are fans of Elton John?"

Daniel shrugged. "I don't even know who that is, to be honest, but I thought that the cover looked cool." He turned back to the radio, placing the CD into the tray. He plopped down as deep baritone vocals filled the room.

_ "It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside," _

"Oh, this is a good song." He looked to Daniel, placing his head atop his shoulder as he hummed along.

"Dude, what's with you and all this old shit?"

"I told you, my mom loved this stuff. She was the  _ biggest _ Elton John fan. She used to tell me all the time that this song, in particular, was the song she and my dad had their first dance to." The two sat, letting the moment settle in. Chris, with his arms wrapped around Daniel's arm, his head on his shoulder, humming. Daniel, his head atop Chris', listening to him hum along to the song. Chris, his arms wrapped around Daniel's arm, listening to him breathe in and out.

_ ”Blue jean baby, L.A. lady,” _

"Oh my God, I  _ love _ this song!" Chris sprung from his seat, Daniel's head falling quickly. He looked up, watching as Chris turned the radio to maximum volume before twirling around the room to the tune.

Daniel watched for a moment before scoffing. "Dude, sit down. You look like a dork dancing all by yourself."

Chris stopped, swiping the hair away from his eyes. "Then come dance with me."

"Me?!" Daniel's eyes widened, pointing towards himself. Sputtering like a dying car engine, he tried to formulate a response. "No, no. You wouldn't want me to. I'm  _ terrible _ at dancing."

Chris put his hands on his hips, making a mock pouty face before smiling again. "Then I can teach you to dance."

"I... I don't know."

"C'mon, it'll be a lot of fun! You can trust me, Danny."

Daniel was about to make another claim against dancing until he looked at Chris. The kind, soulful look in those bright blue eyes, that silly goddamned gap-toothed smile. At that moment, something about the way Chris looked at him made him feel the warm fuzzies. He sighed, standing up and inching towards Chris slowly. "Alright... how do we start?"

"Well, first," Chris clasped his hands together, "you need to ask me to dance. You gotta say 'may I have this dance?' and put your hand out before we can begin."

Daniel sighed, placing his hand out. "Uh, may I... have this dance?"

"Yes." Chris smiled, taking Daniel's hands. "Alright, next you gotta know where to put your hands. Place this one," he placed his hand on Daniel's right hand, "and put it here," he motioned for Daniel to put his hand around his left shoulder. Slowly, he placed his hand on Daniel's right bicep, squeezing softly. Chris slipped his free hand into Daniel's, intertwining their fingers. "Now, you gotta position your feet just right. You're a little close for comfort, bud."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I-"

"Don't worry, dude. I'm joking." He subtly motioned for Daniel to move his feet around, making a soft sound of approval when he got it just right.

They stood there for a moment, Daniel looking to Chris as he seemingly stared off into nothing. "Uh... what're we waiting for?"

"Nothin', just trying to find the beat, that's all." Chris bobbed his head for a few more seconds before moving. "Now, start swaying back and forth and move in a circle." Daniel listened, slowly swaying back and forth with Chris to the beat of the song, eventually finding the confidence to begin turning around in a circle.

"That's good! Now, let's go a little bit further." Chris stopped them, staring up at Daniel. "Look down at my feet." Daniel obliged. "Now, are you watching them?"

"Uh... yeah?"

"Good. Follow what I do." Chris took a step back. Daniel mirrored him, stepping forward. "Now, do the exact opposite." Daniel took another step back, and Chris simulated the movement. "Good, very good! Just keep doing it like that."

Daniel made sure to focus on his steps. Maybe too much. "Ow!" Chris breathed in through his teeth, wincing as Daniel's heavy foot crushed his toes.

"Sh-shit, I'm so sorry. Fuck, I knew I'd fuck this up somehow, I-"

"No, dude, it's totally fine. You're just learning. You have time to make mistakes." He looked up at Daniel, squeezing his bicep again. "It's nothing to worry about."

"Well, shit... if you say so."

 

The two continued. This time, Daniel made sure to be more careful with his stepping. They slowly stepped back and forth, back and forth, occasionally swaying and circling as one song faded into the other.

_ "She packed my bags last night, pre-flight, zero hour, 9 AM" _

Chris sighed, slowly taking Daniel's hands into his own, placing them around his waist.

"Wh-what're you doing?" Daniel asked nervously, beginning to move his hands away.

Once again, Chris took Daniel's hands and placed them around his waist. He looked into his eyes, wrapping his arms around the back of Daniel's neck, onto his shoulders. "It's more comfortable this way. I'm getting tired of holding our arms up like that." He nestled his face into the crook of Daniel's neck. "Plus, you wouldn't mind if we were a little closer, right?"

"...Yeah, I guess you're right." Quietly, he buried his face into Chris' hair, the smell of lavender once again filling his nose. He breathed in and out deeply, listening to the sounds of Chris humming along to the melody that filled the room.

"What're you two blaring music up here for?"

To say the two parted suddenly would be an  _ understatement. _ Chris remained in the middle of the room. With his hands clasped tightly behind his back, he swayed back and forth, looking to the floor. Daniel coughed, leaning against his dresser. "H-hey Grandma, how're you doing?"

"Well, I was going to come up here and tell you two to turn down your radio, we can hear it from downstairs. But what were you two doing just now?"

Daniel smiled, looking to Chris. "We were just messing around, nothin' for you to worry about, Grandma."

"Yeah, it's nothing..."

Claire's gaze shifted between the two of them, before ultimately letting out a sigh. "Well, alright. Still, make sure you turn down your music. It's no good for you two to listen to it that loudly."

"We will, Grandma." The two watched as Claire left, closing the door behind her. Slowly, Daniel turned to look at Chris. "...I think we should just sit back down."

_ “And I think it's gonna be a long, long time,” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from first verse of _"Tiny Dancer"_ by Elton John.


	12. And We Could Be Heroes, We Could Be Us

"Damn, it's nice out today." Daniel linked his fingers together before stretching his arms over his head. Lying down on the blanket, he turned his head to the boy next to him. "Don't you think?"

All that Chris could let out was a small sound of what sounded like confirmation. Sighing with content, Daniel looked up to the sky, his hands behind his head.

He tried to pay attention. Honestly, he did. Try as he may, counting the clouds as they passed only made time feel like it was dragging on even slower, the air of silence between the two boys driving Daniel crazy. He turned his head once again, looking to Chris, who sat hunched over, focusing intently on the notebook in his hands.

Daniel had never noticed how pale Chris was. Of course, he had much fairer skin in comparison to himself, but when it came to Chris, it was different.  _ "What was the word for it?" _ he stewed to himself, kicking his right leg over his left knee.  _ "Translucent? That's kinda what it's like." _ He sat up, moving closer to the boy. As he was about to try and see whatever Chris was focusing so intensely on, he closed the notebook, gingerly placing it beside him before turning to Daniel. "Hey, what's the big deal?"

Chris chuckled. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, why'd you put your little book away so quickly? You don't want me snooping around, or?"

"No, it's not that. You wouldn't care anyway."

_ "Fine," _ he pouted,  _ "if that's how it'll be." _ Daniel scooted away, crossing his legs. "Come here for a second."

"Alright." Chris twisted his body around until he was laying vertically to Daniel, placing his head down onto his lap. He laced his fingers together, placing them on his chest. He looked up to Daniel, feeling his fingers run through his hair. "Do you  _ really _ think my hair looks cool like this?"

"Of course, dude. Why wouldn't I?" Slowly, Daniel lowered his face down to Chris', placing a kiss atop his forehead.

He giggled. "That tickles."

 

"It's nice out today, don't you think?" Daniel looked down at Chris, twirling a strand of hair around his finger.

"Yeah." Chris looked up, to the sky and at Daniel. "I thought it'd be hotter than this, but it's actually pretty good out here today."

The silence was nice. Daniel sat, running his long, slender fingers through Chris' hair. Chris laid with his head in Daniel's lap, breathing the fresh outdoor air in-and-out, humming a melody to himself.

_ "There's no better time than now..." _ Slowly, Daniel removed his fingers from Chris' hair, taking his face into his hands. He shifted Chris' head so their eyes could meet. "So, about that notebook..."

Chris' face twisted with confusion. "Why do you care about that so much? I promise you that it doesn't matter at all."

"It's just that you looked so focused, that's all. You kind of look like my brother when he's busy sketching in his little book." He stroked Chris' hair slowly. "I just wanted to see what you're working so hard on, that's all."

 

This time, the silence felt overwhelming. Daniel swallowed hard, worrying he had upset Chris with all his probing. He watched on as Chris laid still for what felt like forever, before sitting up. He hunched over, reaching away from him before turning back. "Here."

"Huh?" Daniel's gaze shifted from the boy in front of him to the notebook in his hands. "...Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Chris twisted his body around again, this time facing Daniel. "If you do care so much, then showing you couldn't hurt, right?"

Daniel flipped through the pages of the notebook, running his fingers down each page. Sketches of nature, days spent doing nothing except spending time with his father. There were sketches of their time spent together. Daniel snickering, positioned in the driver seat of Chris' father's car. The two of them hunched together on the couch, the glow of the computer screen shining on them.

"Dude, you're like,  _ really _ good."

"Oh? Uh, thanks."

"Yeah, these are great! What's with all the superhero stuff, though?" Flipping through the pages, he found sketches of Chris and himself.

"Oh...  _ that." _ Chris chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

Daniel looked up. "Is this supposed to be us?"

"Uh... yeah." Chris cleared his throat, scratched his chin.

"You embarrassed about this or something?" Chris looked at Daniel and saw his eyes filled with everything but judgment.

"N-no, it's not that. Just a sort of sensitive topic, that's all." Chris sighed, facing away from Daniel, towards the treehouse. His backyard. His home. "I never really had many friends growing up. Honestly, you're probably the first  _ real _ friend I've had in a long, long time. So, I used to imagine that I was this cool superhero that  _ everybody _ loved. I even had a little group of other superheroes that were like friends, sidekicks. It was fun, especially when my mom and dad would play along with me. But, after a while, it just became… something  _ different. _ A way of escape, maybe?"

"Wow, Chris... I didn't know, I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine." Chris smiled, placing his hand on Daniel's knee, softly squeezing.

"Why do I look so different all the time?" Chris turned, seeing Daniel staring back down at the notebook. He flipped from page to page, looking at different iterations of himself.

"I never really settled on a design for you, to be honest. I've been playing around with one in particular recently. Check it out. It's deeper in there somewhere."

 

Chris seemed to be a big fan of this design lately. Entire pages dedicated to this iteration of Daniel, different angles and facial expressions lined the pages. Black rings surrounded his eyes, fangs protruding from the corners of his mouth and whiskers protruding from his cheeks.

"This is really cool."

"You think so?" Chris stared over Daniel's shoulder, looking at his drawings.

 

"Yeah. Do you, like, have any cool superhero names?"

"Oh." Chris slowly took the notebook from Daniel's hands, holding his thumb in place of the previous spot as he flipped through the pages. "I always called myself," he explained, pointing to the drawing of himself, "Captain Spirit. Since I've changed your design so much, I've never really settled on a name." He flipped back to the page in the back, tapping at Daniel's face. "However, I've been playing around with a couple of names recently. I was thinking of something like...  _ Superwolf." _ Chris let out a small, nervous laugh. "Sorry. It's corny, I know. Think of it like a working title, or something.

"Hmm..." Daniel hummed quietly, tapping his chin. "Superwolf. Suupeerrwoollff." He smiled to himself. "I like it." He glanced up. "So, does this make me an official part of your little  _ 'Spirit Squad' _ now?"

"My 'Spirit  _ what?'" _ Chris stared at Daniel, taken aback.

"Y'know, I have a name now and everything, so does that mean I'm a part of your little mythos, or whatever?"

"Uh... sure." Chris' gaze darted around the backyard, settling on a stray stick by the shed. He bolted off to grab it, returning soon after. "Kneel down for a second." Daniel obliged, resting his elbow on his higher knee. With amusement, he watched as Chris tapped his left shoulder first, then his right.

"Y'know that they only do this for like, knights and shit, right?"

"Sh-shut up! It's the best that I can do right now!" Daniel broke into laughter, seeing the pouty look on Chris' face, and Chris couldn't help but laugh too, doubling over and falling to the ground.

After a couple of minutes, they finally settled down. "Y'know what we're missing? A cool salute!" Daniel sat up, crossing his arms in an X-formation. "Sort of like  _ this!" _

Chris looked at him, tilted his head, rubbed his chin in deep, deep concentration, before deciding, smiling to himself. "I think I like that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from chorus of _"Heroes"_ by David Bowie.


	13. Is This a Lasting Treasure, Or Just a Moment's Pleasure?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [UPDATED; 12/9/19]  
> This chapter has been revised to be less... _explicit_ in content. Ever since I've released it, I've never been happy with how it turned out, but with this new revision, I feel a little more confident in the final product. Enjoy the chapter~!!

It had all started so _simple._

One could hear a pin drop, the soft whir of the fan atop the nightstand and the occasional groan from Daniel being the only sounds that filled the room.

"Ughhh, it's _so. Fucking. HOT._ " Chris looked away from the screen of his phone to Daniel, who laid sprawled out on his bed. He rose from the bed slowly, letting out another drawn-out groan. "I'm _literally_ sweating through my fucking shirt. Look!" Daniel raised the front of his shirt into view.

_"He's right."_ Chris thought to himself. The entire top front of Daniel's shirt was soaked, and with Daniel holding it up so he could see, Chris could also see stains forming in the pits of his shirt as well.

"Of course the fucking A/C had to breakdown right as a fucking heatwave rolled in, why _wouldn't_ it?" He slumped back down onto his bed, pouting to himself. "It doesn't help that we can't even share the goddamn fan. Not like it's helping any either, shitty old thing."

Daniel was right yet again. Even with Chris' attempts to drag the chair closer to Daniel's bed so they could both get equal amounts of air, the old fan barely functioned to begin with, leaving the two of them with nothing but the hot air inside the house.

 

"...I may have an idea." The two looked at each other, Daniel nodding his head for Chris to continue. "Well, since it's so hot today, I thought maybe we could drive down to the nearby lake and go for a swim."

Daniel sat up instantly. "Shit, really? How far away is it?"

Chris shrugged. "Dunno, maybe half an hour away by car? We can use my dad's pickup again since your grandma and grandpa are out."

Chris was surprised by the speed that Daniel shot from his bed. Yanking Chris from out of his seat and into the air,  he held him tightly. "Yes! Chris, you are _literally_ our fucking savior!"

Chris smiled. "Don't get too excited yet, dude. We've still got to get swimsuits and towels, y'know."

"Yeah," Daniel said, placing Chris back to the ground. "I think I've got a swimsuit around here somewhere. Can you believe that my dad said it was a bad idea to bring them? Shows him."

"Alright. I need to head over and look for myself. I'll leave the door unlocked, just come on in when you're ready to go."

"Yesss, I'll be right over. Fuck, dude, this is gonna be so much fun!"

 

Chris was shaken back into the present with the sound of the creaking door. Looking up, Daniel slipped into the room, closing the door behind him.

"Hey! Hope you don't mind, I left my flip-flops at the door. I got my swimsuit and towel right here," he motioned to Chris, holding them to the side of his body with his arm, "you found your shit yet?"

"Yeah." Chris stood up, pointing over by his dresser. "I'm all good, ready to go. We should probably change here at the house first though. Probably not a good idea to do it outside when it's so hot."

"Yeah, good idea." Daniel sighed. "Dude, the A/C in your house feels _so_ fucking good."

"Oh? Well, that's probably just because-" Chris turned to Daniel, cutting himself off. He watched as Daniel peeled his shirt off before tossing it down to the floor behind him. "Oh... wh-what are you doing?"

"Um... changing? Why, what does it look like?"

"Well, I-," Chris began to stammer, "I thought we were gonna do that in the bathroom, or something. You can go in and change first."

"Why? It'll be way quicker if we change in here. That way, we don't have to wait for each other. Plus, we can leave quicker that way." Daniel smirked, crossing his arms. "You scared one of us might see something we like?"

"N-no, it's just... nothing, nevermind. I'll, uh, stand over here."

 

Regret. Regret is what Chris felt at that moment. Here he stood in his own room, feeling nervous, and for what? Was it because Daniel would see him, _all_ of him? He had seen the deepest, darkest parts of Chris, parts of himself that he didn't dare to show to anyone else. His so-called "friends," his teachers, Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds next door, hell, not even his own father. And yet, the feelings of regret and nervousness remained.

Chris was shaken from his thoughts yet again. The sounds of jingling metal, fabric rubbing against one another, and unzipping filled the room. Slowly, he turned his head, looking over his shoulder to Daniel. He watched as Daniel stood, dropping his jeans to the floor, kicking them off into the general direction of his previously-discarded shirt in the process. _"Jesus, if it's_ that hot _outside, why wear jeans to begin with?"_ He found himself observing Daniel from behind. His broad shoulders and his powerful thighs and calves. _"Does he play sports or something?"_ Chris thought to himself, _"I probably should've asked by now."_

"Hey, whatcha doin'?" Chris looked up, to Daniel's face. He scoffed. "You checkin' me out or somethin'?"

"Huh? O-oh, I-I'm just thinking about something else, that's all."

"Well, you should probably get undressed before it gets too late."

"A-alright." Chris turned his head back, away from Daniel, slowly beginning to undress. Dropping his shirt to the floor, he dug his thumbs into the waistband of his shorts, stepping out of them and placing them atop his shirt.

Chris jumped to the sound of Daniel whistling. He turned to Daniel,  watching as he looked him up and down. "I like what I see," he laughed.

Chris couldn't help it. Here Daniel stood in all his glory, _gorgeous._ Gorgeous is the only word that Chris could think of to describe Daniel. How he easily towered over Chris. His strong arms. And all his hair; the stubble on his chin and all around his face, on his arms, on his chest, down his stomach and all the way to his-

_"FUCK. Stop staring at him."_

 

Chris faced away from Daniel, plopping down onto his bed. The thought of _looking_ at Daniel for any longer made him feel sick, sick of himself in comparison.

Daniel's face fell. "...Chris? What's wrong? Shit, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, I was joking."

"I-It's nothing, Danny. I just-"

The warmth of Daniel's hand startled Chris as it laid upon his naked shoulder, his body shivered at the touch.

"Chris, seriously... are you okay? Look, I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry."

"I just... I don't know." Chris looked down, folding in on himself. "I feel so... _little_ compared to you, I guess."

"What?" Daniel scoffed, sitting down next to Chris. "What do you mean?"

Chris pursed his lips. "I'm not even sure. Whenever I look at you, I start comparing myself, and it makes me feel like _shit._ Looking at how tall you are, and muscular, and all your hair and shit, it makes me feel, I don't know, less _manly,_ maybe?"

"Chris..." Once again, Chris felt Daniel's hand on his shoulder. "You _really_ need to stop thinking like that about yourself. You know none of that shit matters at the end of the day." Quietly, he leaned over, placing a peck on Chris' cheek.

"Danny, stop... I'm all sweaty."

"I don't mind," Daniel smirked, bending over to place another peck on Chris' lips before burying his face into the crook of Chris' neck.

"D-Daniel!" Chris grasped onto Daniel's shoulder, pushing him away. "Stop, what if my dad comes in and sees us?"

"Don't worry, dude. I saw your dad when I came in. He was passed out on the couch. He's not a problem." Pressing his lips against Chris' and wrapping his right arm around his back, Daniel pressed on.

 

Shivers ran through Chris, feeling Daniel's hands all over his body; his arms, his back, his chest, wherever else Daniel could find.

Daniel slowly placed his hand on Chris' thigh, jerking it back after hearing Chris audibly gasp. "Wh-what? What's wrong?" He tried placing his hand back, yielding the same result. He looked down, watching the outline of Chris' dick straining against his gray boxers. "...Oh."

“I… I’m sorry. I just--”

“No, no,” Daniel whispered, his voice low. “It’s fine.” Releasing his grip from Chris’ thigh, he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, we can just--”

“Please,” Chris whimpered, placing Daniel’s hand back down. “ _please._ Don’t.”

“Shit… alright. I, um… can I… touch you…?”  Daniel paused, watching as shakily, Chris nodded.

 

It all happened so fast. Faster than Chris had expected it. Daniel taking him into his arms _(“fuck, is he really this strong?”),_ pinning him against his bed as he smothered him in kisses all over his body.

"D-Daniel... wait."

"Yeah?" Daniel looked down at him. "What, you nervous about your first time?"

"M-maybe..." Chris looked away for a second, before staring Daniel in his eyes. "Do... do you _really_ love me?"

"What?" Daniel laughed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's just that my dad, he says that you should only do... _this_ with someone you love." He took Daniel's face in his hands, continuing to stare deep into his soul. "Do... you love me?"

Daniel stared at him, watching his face turn a crimson color. He smiled. "Yes, Chris. I love you. I wouldn't be doing all this if I didn't, right?" It was Daniel's turn to take Chris' face, placing a kiss on his forehead. "Now... tell me if it starts hurting, and I'll stop, alright?"

 

Daniel hummed to himself, staring at nothing in particular, smiling to himself and taking the time to appreciate the cool covers sitting atop his body.

"What's going to happen to... _us_ when you leave?"

Daniel turned away from the ceiling, turning his attention to Chris, laying on his side, his head in his hand. He looked deep in thought, troubled by _something._ "What do you mean?"

"I mean," he said, sitting up, "it's almost the end of the summer, you'll have to head back home soon. What'll happen to _this thing_ between us when you leave for Seattle?"

Daniel stared at the door, running his hand through his hair. "I... don't know, honestly. I haven't really thought about that yet, to be honest." He sighed, closing his eyes. "I... I want to make it work between us, you know? I want to keep talking and all that. It can be letters, e-mails, texts, phone calls, FaceTime. We can send fucking messenger birds to each other if you want to ." He laid back down, looking to Chris. "I'm fine with whatever. I don't care, as long as we can still talk, I'm fine with it."

Chris smiles, leaning in to kiss him. Daniel tucks a stray hair behind his ear before wrapping his arm around Chris. Breaking away, Daniel laughs.

"Y'know, being all buddy-buddy like this ain't helping our heat problem."

"Well," Chris smiled, rising from his bed, "we should probably head for that lake then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from _"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?"_ , originally by the Shirelles, covered by Amy Winehouse.  
> -  
> Hey, all! I’d like to thank everyone fall all the love that has been given to this story so far, it really has inspired me to continue writing this story.  
>   
> I’m so sorry for how inconsistent the updates have been, ranging from either a couple of days to a full week. I’m planning on fixing that with future stories, so don’t worry!  
> For now, all that’s left is the final chapter. I hope you’re all as excited as I am. ;)


	14. If Loving You's a Felony Now, Then I'm a Renegade

Daniel pulled the covers up to his chest, laid out on his back with the computer atop him.

"I told you this movie was great, right?"

"Yeah, I guess..." Chris laid with Daniel, his head atop his chest. He winced, watching the 'zombies' in all their schlocky-looking glory rip into a survivor with even-worse looking special effects makeup. What frightened him more than any of the over-the-top acting and downright terrible dialogue was the creaking floorboards coming from outside Daniel's room.

Chris practically  _ flew _ from the bed, landing on his regular chair. He frantically pulled his phone from his pocket, opening up any random app he could to make himself look less suspicious.

He waited for one minute. Then another. And another. Finally, after four minutes of no sounds, no entrance, Chris let out a sigh of relief. He sneaked back over to the bed, settling down next to Daniel and pulling the covers back up.

 

"Dude... what's up with that? You nearly gave me a damn heart attack."

"I'm sorry, it's just that... we can't keep doing this, Daniel. Almost getting caught by your grandparents."

Daniel clicked his tongue. "I don't see what the big deal is. So what if they see us together? It's not the first time somebody's walked in on me."

"Danny," Chris sat up, looking at him. "I'm serious. We can't keep lying to them about this, about  _ us. _ They're going to get suspicious eventually."

Daniel groaned. "What, you want us to...  _ come out _ or something?"

"Yes,  it feels... wrong lying to them."

Daniel stared off into the distance for a moment before facing Chris again. "Fine, I'll... tell my grandparents about us."

"What about your dad? And Sean?"

Daniel smiled. "Don't worry about that. My brother will be supportive. Why wouldn't he? And what will my dad care about one more son sleeping around with guys from time-to-time, right?" Daniel placed a finger to Chris' chest. "What about you? You plan on telling your dad?"

"Yeah." Chris let out another sigh, smiling.

"Hey... can we get back to watching the movie now? You're missing the best part."

 

*******

 

Back and forth, Daniel paced around the main foyer.  _ "You can do this, Daniel. What do you have to be afraid of?" _ Taking a deep breath in, Daniel slowly edged down the hallway, running his hand along the wall. He peeked his head around the corner, eyeing his grandparents. "Are... you two busy right now?"

Claire looked up from her book to Daniel. "No, what's wrong, sweetie?" Stephen lowered the newspaper in his hand, also looking to Daniel.

"That's great! I have something I need to tell you." Daniel sat down on the couch, turning himself to face them.

"Where's Chris? Is he still sleeping?"

"No, he left a few hours ago. You guys were still asleep, so he just left."

"Oh, that's a shame." Claire sighed, looking over to Stephen. "Do you know that your grandfather built Chris' little treehouse?"

"Really?"

"Yes, he did! Why don't you tell Daniel about it, Stephen." Daniel looked to his grandfather, watching as he placed his folded newspaper on his lap.

"Oh, yeah, I helped Chris and his father build it a long time ago when he was real young." Stephen sighed, smiling. "Yep, it was a lot of hard work, but seeing the smile on his little face made it all worth it in the end. He even drew me a picture to thank me! I still have it hung up in my study. You can see it if you want."

Daniel chuckled. It was weird, thinking how Chris has lived here his whole life, having all sorts of different interactions with his grandparents that he would never comprehend.  _ "I wonder if we would have been friends growing up..." _

 

"Actually," he said, clearing his throat, "I have something to tell you guys, about Chris and I.

"Ohh," Claire frowned. "I'm sorry, is there something wrong between you two?"

"What? Oh, no! Things between Chris and I are going  _ great." _ Daniel chuckled, extending his arm behind him, rubbing his neck.

"Well, what's going on then, if you two aren't having trouble?"

Daniel looked from his grandmother to his grandfather. The understanding look on his face was all that Daniel needed to know that his message was clear.

He sighed. "I... I like Chris."

"Well, I would hope so. You spend so much time with Chris, why wouldn't you like him?"

"No, that's not what I mean. I like Chris. I like him  _ a lot, _ and I think what's going on between us is  _ special." _

 

Daniel could see all sorts of questions floating around his grandmother's mind. "You mean to tell me that you two are...  _ dating?" _

"Yeah... I guess you could say that." Daniel smiled.

Claire seemed hesitant to speak again. "So you're... gay?"

"What?" Daniel's smile faltered. "Oh, no, I've been with girls before. But none of them have ever made me feel the way that Chris has."

Claire sighed. She looked through the window for a moment, deep in thought.

"...Grandma?"

"I don't get it, if I'm going to be completely honest."

"...What?"

"I didn't get it either when Sean told us, all those years ago. When he came over with  _ that _ boy."

 

Daniel avoided her gaze.  _ "Shit, I shouldn't have done this... I knew I'd fuck this up, goddammit." _

He felt the cushions shifting next to him, and a soft, wrinkly hand taking his hand. He looked up to his grandmother, sitting next to him.

She took a deep breath. "Daniel, I think that I... already knew about you and Chris."

Daniel's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I  had a feeling deep down that something was going on with how you two hang out so often, and how often you talk about Chris. When I saw you two dancing in your room, I knew that there was something. Not to mention you two kissing in the backyard when Chris and his father were over."

He groaned. "Oh God... you saw that?"

"None of that matters in the end, Daniel. You're my grandson,  _ our _ grandson." Daniel turned, feeling Stephen's hand on his shoulder. "We're going to love you no matter what. And I'm willing to understand if you're willing to help me understand."

Daniel smiled. "Yeah. I think I can manage that."

 

Daniel closed the door behind him, looking around the baren room. Daniel pulled his phone from his pocket, feeling a familiar buzz.

 

❤️christopher❤️

 

Hey, you about to tell your grandparents?

actually just got done telling them

How'd it go???

good, grams admitted to "not understanding" or whatever,

 said she still loved me & would  learn to understand if i was 

willing to help her

That's great to hear!!

yea

abt to tell my dad n bro

Yeah, I was about to tell my dad as well.

Hey, good luck, alright? I love you. ❤️

yea, good luck

luv u 2 ❤️❤️❤️

 

Daniel picked his laptop up from the desk before flopping down on his bed.

Sean's camera came up first. He laid atop a hotel bed, still underneath the covers.

His father's camera followed shortly after. "Hey, Daniel. You all ready to come back home soon?"

"Yeah, dad. Just need to pack up a few more things, and then I'll be all good."

"So, Daniel. How was your little vacation in Beaver Creek?"

"Surprisingly," Daniel said, stretching out, "it wasn't half bad. How was-"

"Oh  _ shit! _ Is that yer little bro that I hear?" Sean squealed as Finn snatched the phone from his hands. "Shit, how are ya? How's yer time been in that lil' old town, lil' man?"

"Damn, I'm fine, Beaver Creek hasn't been that bad either! I've been doing all sorts of shit; driving around, fucking around in parks, swimming in lakes, you know how it goes."

"Ahem," Sean yanked his phone back from Finn. "I believe that Daniel was trying to tell me something before you so  _ rudely _ decided to take my own phone from me." He playfully elbowed Finn, who rolled around the bed in a fit of laughter. "Now, what were you trying to ask me about?"

"Ohh, I was going to ask you guys how your trip to Costa Rica was, I think."

"It was great! We got to see so many beautiful places. It was really nice to spend some quality time together. Well, if you ignore the fact that everyone else was here too, I mean. And don't get me started on the food."

 

"Damn, sweetie. Ain't you forgettin' somethin' else?"

"Shit, you're right." Sean laughed, leaning into Finn. "There was  _ another _ great moment here in Costa Rica."

Sean switched the camera on his phone from front-facing to rear-facing. He raised his hand into frame, letting the gold band on his ring finger soak into Daniel and Esteban's minds. The call exploded with all sorts of questions; how did Finn propose, when and where did he pop the question? Where did they plan on having their wedding? How much did the ring cost? So many questions, so little time for the newly-engaged couple to answer.

Daniel sighed.  _ "There's probably no better time than now." _ He cleared his throat, "Guys I have to--"

Daniel cut himself off. He had heard  _ something _ coming from outside, through the open window. Yelling? From next door? "Hey, dude. You good?"

"No, I-I think something's wrong. Sorry, I'll call back later, I'm gonna check this out." He closed out of the call, rushing down the stairs. Just as he was about to reach the bottom step, his grandmother came into view, her hand on the doorknob. She opened the door and walked out slowly, Daniel following behind.

The yelling next door was frightening. The two walked to the edge of the road, trying to see the commotion. Chris laid strewn out on the front lawn, a single t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and two mismatched socks on top of him. "I  _ refuse _ to have a fucking faggot living under my roof! Get the  _ fuck _ out of here and never come back!" The slam of the door practically shook the whole street.

 

*******

 

Chris could feel himself shaking. Pocketing his phone, he peeked around the corner, looking into the rest of the house. His father sat in the living room, his eyes glued to an old game of basketball from last week, his favorite team won by a landslide.  _ "Good," _ he thought to himself,  _ "I can tell him while he's still in a good mood." _ Chris glided across the floor, sitting down on the couch opposite to his father's chair. "Hey, dad."

"Huh? Oh. Hi Chris." Charles sighed, his eyes darting back to the TV. Chris thought he looked  _ different. _ Tired.  _ "At least he's sober." _

"So... how was your night here?"

"Does it really matter? Why do  _ you _ care?"

"I just wanted to know, that's all."

"It was fine, alright? I had an early dinner and went to bed, that's all." Charles sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What in the hell you were doing over at their house anyway? I don't get why you'd want to spend time with that nosy bitch and her snot-nosed delinquent kid."

Chris frowned. "Dad, that's not-" Chris sighed, stopping himself. "Anyways... you know how much time I've been spending with Danny, right?"

"Who?

"Danny... Daniel? The kid next door?

"Ohh. Yeah, that's what we were just talking about, weren't we?"

"Well... I've really enjoyed hanging out with him this summer. He feels like the first real friend I've had in a long time, it's always so fun to hang out with him. He's so nice, funny too!"

"And  _ why _ are you telling me all this?"

Chris looked down, smiling to himself. "I know that you... don't like Daniel much. But he's really sweet if you get to know him. He... he means a lot to me, dad."

"What are you trying to say?" Chris looked up to his father, sitting up in his chair. He felt his eyes staring through his soul.

"...I like Daniel, I like him  _ a lot. _ And he likes me too."

 

Silence. Complete and utter silence. Chris watched his father, who stared down into the ground. "Dad? What's wrong?"

"No."

"Huh?" Chris watched as his father rose from his chair, muttering to himself. Charles moved slowly; from the living room, through the dining room & kitchen and straight into his room. "Dad? Dad?!" Chris pushed himself up from the couch, scurrying across the floor to follow his father. "Dad, what's wrong? You're scaring me."

Charles stood hunched over his son's dresser, yanking drawer-after-drawer open. Slowly, Chris crept behind his father. As he placed his hand on his shoulder, Charles turned, shoving a bundle of loose clothing into Chris' arms. Chris followed his father out of the room and into the living room. Charles threw the door open, facing Chris.

"Get out."

"What?"

"You heard me. Get the fuck out of my house."

"Dad, wait." Chris' voice wavered, already feeling the tears in his eyes. "Can't we just... I don't know... sit down and talk about this? Please, dad. I just-"

Charles was too fast for Chris. Before he even knew it, his father had an iron grasp on his shirt collar, dragging him out through the front door, down the stairs, and onto the lawn. The rest was a blur. The white noise of his father's harsh words to him, his father angrily stomping up the stairs and slamming the door shut, the dirt gathering underneath his fingernails as he clutched the ground beneath him tightly, Daniel's familiar arms wrapping around him, and the hot, wet tears streaming down his cheeks as he was nearly carried next door.

 

*******

 

"Let me get you something to drink. I'll be right back." He closed the door behind him, bumping into his grandmother on the way out. "Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there."

"No, it's fine. I should've warned you I was there first." She sighed, crossing her arms. "How is he doing?"

Daniel shrugged. "Fine, I guess. As good as he can be, given all that's just happened. Are you alright, grandma?"

Claire had not realized it, she was still shaking with rage. "It's just that... I can't believe he would do that. To his own son, no less."

"Yeah... it's crazy." Daniel shifted his weight from one leg to the other. "Thank you, by the way. For letting him stay here like you did during the storm."

"It's nothing. Chris needs our help now more than ever." She looked Daniel up and down for a moment. "It looks like you were in the middle of something?"

"Yeah, I was going to get Chris a glass of water, excuse me." Daniel scurried around the house, collecting the glass and getting water before climbing the stairs and re-entering his bedroom, thanking his grandmother for watching him as she passed by.

 

"Hey," he said, standing at the foot of his bed. "I'm back."

"Hey." Chris smiled sadly.

Daniel stepped over the pile of clothing that Chris' father had given him before throwing him out.  _ "Bastard." _ He sat down next to him, placing the glass of water on his nightstand. "How're you holding up?" He laced his fingers through Chris', placing a kiss on his hand.

"I'm fine."

Daniel frowned. He could see very well that despite Chris' reassurance, he was far from fine. Daniel couldn't help but notice the faltering sound in his voice, the redness around his eyes, the quivering of his lip. He decided to hold his peace.

 

"...I knew I shouldn't have told him."

Daniel looked up, watching as the tears began to flow again. "Chris..."

" _ GOD! _ I'm such a fucking fool, of course my dad wouldn't take it well, why would he?"

"Chris, listen to me." Daniel sat on his heels, Chris' face in his hands. "You couldn't have known that your dad would react like that, alright? It's not your fault."

Chris let out a deep, guttural sob, his face buried in Daniel's shoulder. "It's alright. We'll figure this shit out together." Daniel cooed into Chris' ear, gently stroking his hair.

 

Vibrations ran through Daniel's leg. Slowly, he fished his phone from his pocket, looking at the incoming call from his family. "Shit. Chris, I'm gonna have to take this real quick." Chris nodded, sniffling as he wiped his tears from his cheeks. Nervously, Daniel tapped the green 'Accept' button. "Hey, guys."

Daniel cringed, listening as his family probed him with questions. "Dude, what happened?!"

Daniel stumbled his way through the topic, trying to find any and every way he could change it. "W-well, the thing is... I, uh..."

"Danny." Daniel felt Chris' hand on his knee. He looked over, watching as Chris slowly nodded, whispering to him. "It's okay... you can tell them."

He sighed. "There was... a fight next door."

"Jesus..."

"Oh my God. Are you okay,  _ mijo?" _

"Yeah, I'm fine. I didn't swoop in until... later."

 

"Hey," Finn pondered aloud. "Who's the pretty blonde next t'ya, on your shoulder there?"

Daniel looked at Chris. Gradually, he inched into the screen's view. "Hi." He waved, smiling gently.

"Guys, this is... uh, this is Chris. Chris, this is my family; my dad, Sean, and Finn."

"Hey there, buddy."

"Hi."

"Well, hello." Esteban smiled. "It's so nice to finally meet you. Y'know, my son here has told me  _ a lot _ about you."

"Dad..." Daniel felt his face grow hotter, listening to Chris chuckle beside him.

"So, you're a friend of my brother's?"

"Well," Chris smiled, leaning on Daniel's shoulder. "I guess you could say that..."

"Shit, are you two...?" The coy silence, mixed in with Chris' gaze averting to Daniel was the answer that Finn needed. "Ohhhh shit, will you look at that. Yer lil' brother found himself a lil' boyfriend!"

"Dude, leave them alone, will you?" Another soft elbow into the ribs.

"Ow!"

"Why are your eyes so red?"

Daniel shot a nervous glance over to Chris.

"It's fine, Danny. Really." He sighed. "I... came out to my dad. About me and Daniel."

"That's great, dude." Sean smiled. "What did he say?"

"He... didn't take it well. He, uh, dragged me out by my shirt collar with a few pieces of clothing." Chris swallowed hard, squeezing Daniel's hand while tilting his head upwards.

Sean frowned. "Shit man, I'm so sorry."

"Eh," Chris sniffled, "what else can you do?"

"Hell no." Chris cocked his eyebrow. He stared at the tatted man next to Daniel's brother. "We ain't just gonna let that shit slide." With that, Sean's call abruptly ended, leaving Daniel with his father.

"Jesus... what was that for?"

"I dunno, but he looked  _ pissed. _ I'll... try to get through to them later."

The call went on for another thirty minutes after that. Daniel caught his father up on all the adventures he had in Beaver Creek that summer; all the cool things Mushroom found while hunting around the neighborhood, fancy church dinners with his grandparents, and shenanigans with Chris.

"Sorry to cut this short," Esteban began, standing up, "but I've gotta head back to work now, you know how it is." Esteban smiled. "It was nice to finally meet you, Chris."

"Yeah," Chris beamed, leaning into Daniel, "it was nice to meet you too."

"Call me later, Daniel. I love you,  _ mijo." _

"Alright. I love you too, dad." Esteban's face disappeared, leaving only a black screen.

"Well, shit." Daniel rose from his bed, stretching. "Why don't we head downstairs and find something to eat, huh?"

 

*******

 

For the last few days, the two had shifted from lounging about in the living room, the kitchen, the dining room, Daniel's room, anywhere they felt like.

It was a sunny afternoon, Claire and Stephen had gone running a couple of errands, leaving Chris and Daniel home alone. They had told the boys to not wait up for them, to make something to eat for lunch while they were away.

"Danny... I think you're adding too much milk."

"You're worrying too much, Chris. Just let me cook, it's my treat."

Chris leaned against the counter. "Well, you need me to grab anything for you, at least?"

"Uhh... we're kinda low on noodles, could you check the cabinet over there real quick?"

Chris strolled over to the cabinet, gently opening the door and looking through its contents.

"I don't think there's any in here."

"You sure? I thought there was more in there."

"Maybe she's getting more today?"

The ringing of the doorbell from the foyer caught Chris' attention as he closed the door. "I'll go get it."

"Can you? I'm still cookin' here and all."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Chris mocked, chuckling to himself as he watched Daniel blow a raspberry at him, believing that he didn't see him. Walking through the dining room, he noticed something from the window. "Wait... your grandparents took their car when they drove off, right?"

"Yeah," Daniel called from the kitchen, "what else would they take?"

"Danny," Chris peeked out the window, "I think there's a stranger on the doorstep." He jumped back, hearing the doorbell ring once again. "Danny..."

"It's probably just some Girl Scouts or something, you know how vicious they are when it comes to sellin' 'n' shit."

"Shit, Danny... what're we going to do?"

 

"I'll handle it." Wiping his hands off on his shirt, Daniel made his way to the door.

"Danny, no! What do you think you're doing?"

"Don't worry, I'll set them straight." Breathing in deeply, he opened the door. "Look, whatever you guys are selling, we don't-"

"Hey there, lil' man."

Chris lingered behind, watching as Daniel stood in shock, aghast by the gaggle of hippie-looking strangers. Chris puckered his lips, a skunky smell wafting through the house as the group stood on the front porch. Chris stood silently, looking on as Daniel nearly toppled over another boy, much similar-looking to him.  _ "Is that... Sean?" _ Chris was sure of it, remembering his face from the video call.

"Damn, what am I then? Chopped liver?" He scoffed. "Damn, you get taller every time I see you. Not such a "lil'" man anymore, huh?" Chris noticed that this man had lots of tattoos. Besides the ones lining his arms, he had tattoos on his face. Three triangles under his left eye, and a line running from the bottom of his bottom lip and down his chin.

Daniel turned, grinning ear-to-ear before taking him in his other arm. Chris noted that Daniel was  _ much _ taller than the two men, easily towering over both of them in their huddle. He smiled, leaning against the doorway, listening to the group joke around with the brothers, comparing them height-wise.

"Hey, yer Daniel's little boyfriend, right? Chris was the name?"

Chris was shaken from his thoughts. "Huh? Oh, yeah." He extended his hand out. "I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name earlier."

The man grinned, taking Chris' hand. "Finnegan McNamara," he quickly pulled Chris into a hug, patting his back. "But you can just call me Finn. It's nice to finally meet you face-to-face, Daniel's daddy's been telling me 'n' the hubby all about you, the way that Daniel goes on and on about yer little adventures."

"Hold on there, you two ain't married yet." Chris leaned, his attention caught by the woman hugging Daniel. There was something about her; her purple hair, her gap-toothed grin, or her southern drawl, whatever it was made Chris feel at ease.

"So what?" Finn turned his head, sticking his tongue out. "We're gonna be soon anyways, just testing out the way it sounds is all. What's wrong with that, Cass?" He turned back to Chris, tilting his head. "So, you gonna let us in or what?"

Chris' eyes widened. "Oh, I... I'm not sure. Daniel's grandparents aren't home, I'm not sure they-"

"Don't worry, Chris." Daniel passed by Chris, motioning to the others. "They can come in, they're family."

 

With that, Chris backed away, watching as the group piled into the house, through the hallway, and into the living room, making all sorts of observations about the interior decorating, among other things.

"Damn, Sean. Why didn't you tell us that you guys were coming? We could've prepared a party or something."

"I'm sorry," Sean sighed, settling down on the couch next to his brother. "I wanted to tell you guys, but Finn wanted to keep it a surprise, and you know how he is, so I just gave him what he wanted."

"What're you guys doing here in Beaver Creek anyways? What happened to Costa Rica?" Daniel looked around for a moment as if he were trying to eye out somebody who wasn't in the room. "And where'd Lyla go?"

" _ Ooooh, _ does Daniel's lil' boyfriend have to worry about  _ Lyla the Love Witch?" _

"Dude, shut up." Sean playfully shoved him. "Our trip was coming to an end anyway, we only had a couple of days left before our reservation expired. Lyla headed back to Seattle with Jacob, said she had to 'get back to work,' or something like that."

"Plus," Finn exclaimed, sitting down next to Sean, extending his arm over his shoulder, "we wanted to...  _ lend a hand _ over here." He looked to Chris, standing by the aquarium. "Yer daddy kicked you out, right?"

"...Yeah." Chris frowned, crossing his arms. "You mean to tell me that...  _ all of you," _ he motioned to the group, sitting all around the living room, "came here to help  _ me?" _

"Well," Finn smiled, "Daniel seems to like you a lot. That means yer practically family now. And we ain't just gonna let someone treat family like that."

 

The following events of the day were a blur to Chris. All he could remember was Finn and the rest of his crew, Sean and Daniel included, dragging them over to the house next door. He stood idly, watching as Finn and another woman, one with just as many face tattoos as him stood face-to-face with his father.

"How  _ dare _ you treat your own fucking son like that, what kind of fucking monster does something like that, huh? Huh?"

He felt a figure next to him. Turning, he looked at Sean, who stared right back. "Your friends sure are... loud."

Sean chuckled. "Yeah, you can say that again. Hans gets real defensive if she feels like someone is coming for family."

The two stood, watching as Cassidy walked towards them. "I think they were able to talk some sense into yer daddy, he's backed down." She smiled, motioning to Chris. "Come on, let's go get yer shit."

Chris stood in his room, rolling suitcases in hand. He had made sure to collect what he thought of as the essentials; all of his clothing, his drawings from over the years and his art supplies, and all of his toys from his childhood years. He exited his room, stepping into the dining room. Daniel stood close to Charles' chair, whispering to Sean and ocassionaly glancing over to him. Sean nodded, fishing his phone from his pocket as he walked out the door.

"What was that all about? You gossiping about me to your brother?"

"Nah, don't worry 'bout it. I'll tell you later, alright?" Daniel looked him up and down. "Let's get going."

"Lead the way." The two walked side by side, ocassionally bumping into each other, eliciting small giggles from Chris and eyerolling from Daniel.

 

Something wasn't right. From the corner of his eye, Chris looked and saw...  _ him. _

"Actually," he said, stopping in place, "let me do one more thing real quick. You can wait for me outside, it won't take too long."

Daniel shrugged, before beginning to walk out alone. "Alright, if you say so. I'll hold you to it, don't be mad if I'm gone by the time you're out."

"Don't worry, I said it won't take too long." He watched as Daniel exited through the front door, standing on the porch, scrolling through his phone. Chris crept towards his father, his suitcases dragging behind him. "Dad," Chris moved his hand to his father's watching in pain as he yanked it away, refusing to look his son in the eye. He sighed. "Dad... I just wanted to say that, no matter what, no matter all the things you've said to me, the things you've  _ done _ to me, I... I still love you."

Silence.

"I just hope that... one day, you and I can come together and forget all of this." Chris took his suitcases in hand, walking away slowly. "Goodbye, dad."

He sat in silence, listening to the conversation from the opened door.

"So, you got everything you need?"

"Yeah... I think so."

"Well, let's get home. I still got that mac 'n' cheese on the stove for us.

"Daniel, what the fuck?! You could've burned the house down!"

He laughed. "But I didn't, did I?"

Their conversation trailed off, only a faint murmur, and then...  _ nothing. _

 

_ "I still love you." _

_ "I just hope that one day, you and I can come together and forget all of this." _

_ "Goodbye, dad." _

"FUCK!" The bottle shattered on impact, the glass falling in a heap onto the ground. He sat, wringing his face in his hands, the brown liquid slowly trailing down the wall.

 

The rest of the night was a joyous occasion, a final send-off for the end of summer. Drinks were drank, food was eaten, jokes were told, all while the two sat side-by-side, talking and giggling the whole night away. Ultimately, after excusing himself from the table, Chris found himself outside, breathing in the fresh night air, counting the stars.

"D'ya mind if I stand out here with ya?" Daniel approached from behind, standing beside him.

"No," Chris smiled, "not at all."

They stood in silence, continuing to count the stars together. Daniel sighed, popping his lips. "So... what're your plans now, since you're... you know."

"Dunno. I might call my grandparents, they could take me in. But... that probably means we'd be farther away from each other." He frowned to himself.

"Shit, well, that's cool anyways. But... I had another idea."

Chris turned, eyeing him up. "What do you mean?"

Daniel coughed, scratching his face. "You remember the conversation you saw me and Sean having earlier at your dad's place, right?"

"Yeah, you said you'd tell me about it eventually." Chris raised his brow.

"Well... me and my brother have been talking, and I was wondering if maybe, you'd like to... I don't know, come back to Seattle with us?"

Chris stood in stunned silence. "...Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I've been talking to Sean for hours about it before we went over to your dad's. And when he left? He was heading off to call our dad and ask about it. And to tell our grandparents, too."

"Well, what'd he say?" Chris crossed his arms, wringing his hands against his elbow.

"He said he'd be delighted." Daniel smiled, leaning against the outside of the restauarant. "So, whaddya say? It's fine if you want to head off to your grams 'n' gramps, but I just thought-"

It was Daniel's turn to nearly topple over to the ground, Chris jumping into his arms. "Oh my God, Daniel, yes! I'd love to!"

The two danced around the outside of the restauarant, no care in the world to those patrons onlooking, whether they were entering, leaving, or still trying to enjoy their meals.

Daniel placed Chris down to the ground, still cackling. "We should probably head back inside. Y'know, finish our food and tell the others and all that."

"Yeah," Chris giggled, swatting at his neck, "the bugs out here are starting to kill me anyways."

 

"Ow! Shit, you sure you know what you're doing, Chris?

Chris grumbled, hunched over Daniel's wrist. "Shut up, I'm doing my best, alright?"

"Well, could ya' at least give me a little more room to sit? My ass is hangin' halfway off this damn thing, I'm 'bout to fall."

"Well, so am I. And how else am I gonna be able to do this?" Daniel whined, but decided to stay quiet, sucking in the occasional breath as he watched Chris poke him with the needle.

After a few more pain-filled minutes, Chris exhaled, wiping the patch of skin with a spare dishrag. "All done, tell me how it looks!"

Daniel stared at the speck of black ink, a small heart sitting on his wrist. "You filled it in surprisingly well for your first time." He laughed, helping Chris wrap his arm in bandages.

Chris frowned. "What? What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Daniel reassured him, placing his arm on Chris' wrist. "It's corny, that's all... but I think I like it a lot. It reminds me of you."

"I had a feeling you would." He smiled, placing a kiss on Daniel's lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, all. I’d like to thank you all for taking the time to support my little story.  
> This isn’t the end of Chris and Daniel’s story, I definitely have more planned for them in the future. It may take a little while, but there is more to come, so keep your eyes open!! ;)  
> Title from _”Souk Eye”_ by Gorillaz.
> 
> Stay in touch with me between stories! Feel free to bully me into getting back to writing, or just to say hi!!  
> IG: @marcasshole  
> Tumblr: @apotofstu  
> Twitter: @apotofstu  
> Discord: marcasshat#6683  
> My playlist, filled with songs that inspired the story: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7c2p7Fb3KrzTZp5GxemqI3?si=mrkCVF-URt2gmURTvK0C9A


End file.
